Muhammadﷺ the Perfect Man

Muhammad % the Perfect Man
by
Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Hasani

Translated by Khalid Williams

Foreword by Dr Mostafa Badawi

Mubammad #@ the Perfect Man

ea

PES oe

Muhammad & the Perfect Man
by
Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Hasani

Translated by Khalid Williams

Foreword by Dr Mostafa Badawi

©

VISIONS oF REALITY

Mees
\

Published by
©Vislons of Reality Books Rabi ul Awal, 1438 AH, December 2016
‘Second Edition

All rights reserved. This book isn copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the pro

ns of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no radios of any part may take place without
ten permission of the publishers

‘Thanks are duc to Abdassamad Clarke (Design and Typesetting), Muhammad Ansa
(Indexing), Suragah Abdul Aziz (Editing), Majid Hussain (Proofreading).

ISBN 978-1-909460-00-3

Printed by Mega Printing in Turkey

©

‘VISIONS oF REALITY

el

ELE IS STS LAR OAS OTTER

ConTeNTS
PusvisHer's Notg To THE SECOND Epition
Pup.isher's Note
‘Anout THE TRANSLATOR

FoREWwORD
AutHor’s INTRODUCTION

Part One
The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts

and Exalted Qualities
‘Tue PeRrection or His Purg anp Nosie Lingace
The Perfection of His Form, and His
Beautiful Appearance ds
His blessed face
His check
His eyes
His head and brow
His nose
Prophetic Beauty
The Perfect Care he took of bis Blessed Appearance
The care He took of his body
The care He took of his hair
The care He took of his eyes
‘The care He took of his teeth
‘The care He took of his clothing
and comportment
The care He took of the cleanliness
of His home and His mosque
His blessed voice
The Perfection of the Mubammadan Heart

LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF THE OPENING

XI
xv
xv

xv!

12
12
13
13
4
4
15

19
19
20
20
20

21

23

MUHAMMAD f& THE PERPECT MAN

oF His # Biessep Breast
The Perfection of His Intellect

His f Vicitance

His #& Amtasinity in Soctat. Setrincs

His d& Wise Senection or Envoys

His & Perrect Puysicar Srrencra

His & Purrgct KNowLepce

His #& Pexrect ELoquance

His & Pervect KNowLence or WorLoLy AFFAIRS

His & Parvsct Oxatory

Tit Penrect Wisvom or His & Way

oF CALLING TO ISLAM
Patt Two
How Allah Gave Him # Perfect Protection from all
Flaws, and Guarded Him from Enemies, Demons
and Sins

Attan’s Perrect Prorection or Him &

His & Porruct Protection rrom Satan

Attai's Pearrcr Protection or Him f&

FROM ALL FLAws anp DousTs

Tue Avrior’s Own Opinton
The First Category
‘The Second Category

CoNncEeRNING THE Story oF Zayp 18N HARITHA

“Ano He Founn You Wanverinc, ano Guipep You”,
AND ANOTHER ConTENTIOUS Issua

AscaiBinc Sin To His Buessap PERSON

His d& Moments oF Forcetrutness DID NOT

NsGate His PERFECTION

Tue Issue or rue Captives of BAR
A Further Clarification

26
32
35
36
37
40
42
47
57
62

64

67

69
77

84

89
89
a

93

96
99

108

ALL
is

ERAS SNS ER

oe

Contents

Tag INCIDENT OF THE Date-PaLas

THAT SORCERY Was Workep on Him & Does Not
NecaTeE His PeRrection

Div He & Ever Const Anyone?

CONCLUSION

Part Three
‘The Perfection of His Magnificent Character

and Noble Actributes
His # Perrect MERCY
His # mercy to the world
His #& MERCY WITH HIS FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD
His & MERCY WITH CHILDREN, ORPHANS, WIDOWS,
SICK PEOPLE, AND OTHERS
His & MERCY WITH ANIMALS
His & Perrect Siyness
His & Perrect Genzrosity
His #& Perrect Lovauty
His @ Pzrrect PaTIENce
His & Perrect ASCETICISM
His # Perrect Forciveness
His @ Perrect Justice
His & Pearect Humanity
‘Tre Perrect Form oF
His & GENERAL MANNERS
His #& Eriquerte or Eatinc
Part Four

The Perfection of His Glo:
Unique Distinctions

us Feats and

His § Perrectty CLear DisTINcTIONS AND
Dazzuinc Miracizs

117

123
125
128

131
333
133
136

137
140
142
145
148
152
156
158
163
166

171
174

177

179

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFRCT MAN

His Superiority co the Rest of the Prophets
Trt PERFECTION OF THE FAVOURS THAT WILL BE
Granrep To Him & IN THE HEREAFTER,
ano To No OTHER
His & Perrect EMINENCE, AS AFFIRMED
BY THE Boox oF ALLAH
THE PERFECTION oF His & WorsHip
His & Perrecr Fear oF ALLAH

Part Five
The Perfection of His Political and Military Leadership
His #& Perrect Wispom tn DEALING
WITH MATTERS oF PoLitics
His fm Perrect Courace
His & Perrect Miuitary LEapeasHip
Tue Tactics He & Empcoven to Conckat THINGS
FROM His ENEMIES
His & Concern ror KNowine THE ConpiTIon,
NUMBERS, PREPAREDNESS AND News or His ENEMIES
Brrore Meetinc THEM IN ComBaT
His & Use oF THREATS AND FEar-InsPininG WARNINGS
to His Enemies Berors MEETING THEM IN BATTLE
Part Six
The Perfection of His & Ethics in Guiding and
Teaching the Muslim Community, and His Kindness
Towards All of Them Generally, and Towards
His Family and Companions Especially
‘Tae Most ComeLete HADITH ON THE
Paropuetic CHARACTER
His @ Kinpngss TO
His Faminy AND RELATIVES

189

194
202
212
216
219
221
226

229

233

235

238

241

243

247

Contents

His # Kino Way oF
Conversinc Witt Pzorue

‘When Greeting People
When Interacting With People

THe Way HE & Ser Minps at Ease
His # EXCELLENT Way

or REBUKING AND CENSURING

Tue Pereect EpucaTion

He & Gave THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, AND
His DevoTion To TEACHING THE Qur'an
EXECESIS OF Qur’An

History AND TALES OF OLD

LITERACY

His @ MeTHop oF TEACHING

His # PERFECT Way

or TEACHING AND GUIDING

DirectinG PEOPLE

yo HicHER ASPIRATIONS

SuppoRTING STATEMENTS

Wit Evipence

‘Tue Usa or STORIES

‘Tue Story or THOSE

Wuo Spoke IN THEIR CRADLES
EXPLAINING THINGS USING PARABLES

Part Seven
The Perfection of His & Law, Which Meets All Human
Needs, and Can Be Applied to All Times, Without Any

Alteration or Corruption

THE SHARIAH OF ISLAM
The Shariah of Islam And The Realities of Life
The Foundations Of Perfection

249
249
252

256

258

263
266
267
268
269

273

281

286
289

290
293

297

299
299

MUHAMMAD j& THE PERFECT MAN

and Excellence In The Shariah

One: Opening The Door Of Ijtihad
Two: The Importance Given To Benefit
In The Shariah

Three: The Recognition Of Common
Universal Principles

The Principle Of Transactions

Four: The Summons To Opening
The Door To Knowledge

Five: No Obligation To Follow

Any Particular School Of Thought

THE MEANING of DEVELOPMENT IN THE SHARIAH
The Exact Meaning OF Jtibid
A FALSE ACCUSATION AND Dusious Notion
Conctuston
Works CitzD
Tafsir
Hadith
Sira Nabawiyya (Prophetic Biography)
History and Biography
Islamic Law and Literature
INDEX

300
301

303

304
304

305

305
310
310
313
315
317
37
317
318
318
318

319

Re gay

See Stee cara ge

ep aeens

al Dee
PusiisHer's NOTE TO THE SECOND
EDITION
LicaTIon of this second edition of ‘Mubammad § The

ye PUD
: d by many factors. Firstly, the enthusiastic
re rs ey hin che UK and from around

«to the first edition, both from wit
sil secondly chat, since copies of the first edition were exhausted
ve ich an increesing aumber of requests for more, the appearance 0 a

considered overdue.

ight well be
urine the work has been taught by

Tn the few years since publication,
jaseone teachers who sce the work as a structured means of teaching
che perfections of the Perfect Prophet $. What has become clear is that

rnd more people in the English speaking world are seeking our
aut as ie is havea ress nderstanding of the final Messenger
to mankind. To that end we have been fortunate to have been able co
publish a number of other books to which we draw the reacler’s attention,
yn particular to a work which is in many ways complimentary to this
current work, called “The Perfect Family Virtues of che Ab al-Bayt
bout the excellences of the Propher’s immediace fam

Sayyid Muhammad al-Alawis seminal work ‘Mubammad f The

Perfect Man’ is a crucial contribution in strengthening and affirming,
the relationship between the believer and the Beloved Prophet of Allah
Almighty.
This work shows in meticulous detail the character of the Prophet &
the gentle, kind, merciful, compassionate and considerate man loved by
the billion and a half Muslims alive today, who in curn are following in
the footsteps of countless other billions who have paved the way over the
centuries gone by.

We pray this second edition is a means by which people increase their
knowledge and love of the Perfect Man $ — whose kind and gentle ways
hold the key to salvation for a mankind who otherwise seems to have set
eyes on self-destruction.

Amjid Ilahi
Rabi ul Awal 1438AH/December 2016

xiii

Pus isHer’s Note

upon His Beloved Messenger Sayyidina Muhammad,

I is with immense pleasure that we present the English translation of
Sayyid Mubammad ibn ‘Alawr's work Mubammad Al-Insan Al-Kamil The
Perfect Man, to the general public,

This hook comes aan important ele when in the West the prevailing
secular consumeriom and selfishness seems to know few bounds resulting
Jn an immorality ~ where even the elect of Allah's creation ~ the Prophet
und Messcnigets, muy the peace and blessings of Allah be upon then, are
not safe from being openly mocked or their lives ridiculed. In the East,
despotic rulers, the lack of leadership, external interference and sectarian
division has opened up chasins of angst.

eis in this atmosphere that this phenomenal book written by the leading
scholar of his time ~ Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Millikt al-Hasani ~
Is presented to the general readership its [English for dhe first time.

I serves usa thicly reminder to the characteristics of the greatest human
being that ever lived, and presents an Insight inte dhe noble Prophetic
way, the behavioural cole of conduct = the Sunna ~ of the Perfect Mun,
that he, tnay the peace and blessings of Alluh be upon him, let behind
for all peoples for all times.

The auihor catulogues the Prophetic Perfections in great detail and
neticulous scholarly authority, The
jams’ lucld and exemplary
easy

provides scriptural evidence with
book is further augmented by Khalid W
wuinlation adding depth, breadth, clarity and making this wit
reat of the ingly speaking, world,

The bhouk isu niodern day classic In the Arabic language = we pray that
His trandatian becomes the same in English

We pray that Allah accepts this work and mukes it a source of eteraal
edition » fine the author, through to all whe huye had hand in

‘ranalatling fy prepuring itand publishing i as well as thase ceasing i,
Anji Mahi

January 2013/Safue Ha ALT

aly

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

jaLip Wit.tiAMs Isa translator specialising in traditional Islamic
K texts. He was born in the United Kingdom in 1983. After graduating

m the University of Leeds with a First Class honours degree in Arabic

es s with

Seudies in 2006, he moved to Morocco where he currently resides
his family. There, he had the honour of studying under the great jurist
and grammarian of Salé, Shaykh Mustafa al-Najjir al-Nabwi, Allah have
mercy on him.

His published works include:

Our Master Mibarmmad dy the Mesenger of Allab by Imam Sirajuddin
Husayni (Two Volumes, Sunni Publications 2008).

The following works have been completed and are due to be published
by Visions of Reality Rooks:

Umad min'ad Din by Abdal Fath Abu Ghudda

Sheikh Ahmad Zacruq's Sbarb on High al-Babr

Virtues of Madina by Imam Janadi

Faduil bl Bayt ~ compilation from the works of Ibn Hajar Asqalani,
Imam Nawawi, Imam Nasai’ Ibn Shahin and Imam Suyuti

Asout Dr Mostara AL-Bapawl

k Mostara Al-Badawi is a Consultant Psychiatrist and member of
D the Royal College of Psychiatrists, He studied under many shaykhs,
foremost among whom is the late Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad.,
Dr Badawi is also one of the leading contemporary translarors of Islamic
bucks from Arabic into English. He is also an author of some highly
acclimed works on traditional Islam ineluding Mun and the Universe and

Prophets of Anubia,

XY

MUHAMMAD J&A THE PERFECT MAN

ForEworD

Mss KNow that Prophets of God are born, that this is a God-
given rank, not an acquired one, and that a Prophet is informed of
his status and mission in clear terms by God, either directly or through
the Angel Jibril. Prophers are of different ranks, the highest among them
being the Divine Envoys (Rusul). Prophets occupy the highermost degrees
of the human pyramid, for they represent the perfection of spirituality
and virtue among human beings and their rank is unattainable by even
the highest ranking saints, who come next in the pyramid. The summit
of that pyramid is occupied by the most perfect and highest ranking being
in the universe, Prophet Muhammad — may God’s blessings and peace be
upon him and all other Prophets - Master and Seal of all Divine Envoys,
whose spirit or light was the first co be created and whose physical form
was the last to appear to earthly humanity. His perfection encompassed
every conceivable aspect and has been described in detail in innumerable
volumes over the centuries. There is however, one peculiarity that one
nceds to keep in mind when studying and reflecting on these perfections,
which is that because the last revelation before Islam was Christianity and
the Christians divinized their Envoy, the Qur'an repeatedly emphasizes
the human status of the Prophet of Islam, so as to annul from its roots
any possibility of the same ching happening. Thus, of the hundreds of
miraculous events reported and authenticated in the life of the Prophet,
the Qur'an mentions only one, the cleavage of the moon. The theme, ‘Lam
but a human being like you’ recurs both in the Que‘an and the utterances
of the Prophet. The great majority of orientalists, until recently openly
hostile to Islam, although often claiming objectiviey, chose to ignore the
abundant material deta great spiritual merits of the Prophet,
considering these no more than legends concocted by his followers. The
obvious intention was to concede to him no more than the status of a
social reformer and deny him that of a Divine Envoy. What is worse
and certainly more incomprehensible is the tendency of certain narrow
minded and rather materialistic Muslim scholars co deny or minimize
these merits, and their efforts to porcray the Prophet as no more than

Foreword

ordinary man who just happened to have been charged with a Divine
ff ota und to have received the revelation of the Qur'an, The avowed
misthon there is to prevent che Muslims from divining him as the
Jotentiots divinized Jesus, but the hidden intention is to deny to his true

sti
Cope suns ofthe Muslin community, ther superior spiriual states
et award knowledge.

‘erhen the Prophet is commanded in the Qur'an to respond co the
pagans’ challenges by saying Yim I but a mortal Envoy? 1793] oF 'S
era but a mortal like you who receives revelation” {18:110; 41:6] cereain
snenaltics seem C0 stop atthe frst half ofthe proposition, which is thar
fe isa mortal Like as, while ignoring che second half which states thar he
ina Divine envoy, fic to receive revelation from God. God says, ‘Were We to
send down this Qur'an on a mountain you would have seen it bumble, cracking
from the fear of God’ [59:21]. The descent of revelation is thus described
to be so mighty that a mountain would crack were it to descend upon it.
‘What then should the artributes of a human being be in order to survive
such an event unharmed? The necessary qualities for a
be capable of receiving revelation are precisely that dimension of being
thar differentiates them from common mortals and that scholars have Felt
the need to point out to their students over the centuries so that their
attachment to the Prophet may grow stronger and thus more effective in
guiding their behaviour and motivating thcir journcy to God.

This book is devoted to reminding readers of the immense outward
and inward perfections of the Prophet, while refuting certain malicious
insinuations of orientalist origin and certain misinterpretations by
minded Muslim authors. In these times of ours, when Islam
is being misrepresented as a violent religion and knowledge of who the
Prophet of Mercy really was is lacking in the West, such a book seeks
to contribute to redressing the situation by drawing a detailed portrait
of him in the light of the authentic historical sources of the Muslira
wadition. Furthermore, because the love of God and Prophet is che
very core of faith in Islam, such works that acquaint Muslims more fully
with their Prophet and increase their love and veneration for him by
describing his perfection serve an essential function—for God says in
the Qur'an, ‘Say: “If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your
dan, your possessions that you bave acquired, commerce you fear may slacken,
and duellings chat please you, if these are more beloved to you than God und

xvii

MUHAMMAD (& THE PERFECT MAN

His Messenger, and to struggle in His way, then wait till God brings about His
will” [9:24]. For his parc, the Prophet unequivocally declared that to love
him and his family was che necessary complement of one’s love for God
and that no believers faith would ever be complete until he reaches the
stage of loving the Prophet more than his parents, his children, and his
own self. Clearly, to read about the perfect attributes of the perfect mar
is one manner of accomplishing this. The second manner is to follow hie
Sacred Law and his Sunna as thoroughly as possible; the third to invoke
blessings in abundance upon him; and the fourth o love and serve his
descendants, especially the learned and virtuous among them, to whom
belonged the author of this treatise, Sayyid Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki.

There are three kinds of claim to nobility in Islam: two outwand
(lineage and religious knowledge) and one inward (anctity and inward
knowledge). Over the years there were endless debates among scholars
as to which is superior, the nobility of lineage, being a descendant of
the Prophet through his daughter Farima and Jmam‘Ali, or knowledge
These of course were always cordial scholarly debates, free of resentment
ot spite, for no Muslim scholar worth his while would dare challenge
the nobility of the descendants of the Prophet. One of the most telling
arguments produced by a famous scholar to conclude the textual e
he arrayed was that should the scholar lose his mind, he would inevitably
lose his knowledge, and thus his claim of nobility, while should a sharif
[descendant of the Prophet $s} lose his mind, he would recain the honour
of his lineage. The nobility of the latcer was therefore concluded to be
essential, while the former's was shown to be accidental. The essential
being by definition superior to the accidental, the nobility of che sharif
was therefore demonstrated to be superior. The

inasmuch as we know that the great majority of saints throughout the
Muslim world come from a sbarif lineage. The author, Sayyid Muhammad
son of Sayyid ‘Alawi al-M himnselfan Idrisi Sharif whose ancestors
had emigrated to Mecca from Morocco. His father Sayyid ‘Alaw? was

Tevam Ldris the F ‘Abdallah, son al-Easan al-Muthani, son of Imam Hasan
son of Ali ibn Abi Twib and Fitima daughter of che Prophet, emigrated from fraq to Morocco
In the second century A.H. His son, Imam Idris che Secord, completed the foundation of
the ciey of Fez, which remains to this day the capital of religious learning in Morocco. Theie
desccadents arc known as the lrisi sarifs and a large numberof them became over the centuries
renowned scholars, saints, and suis

Foreword

1 eminent and popular scholars of Mecca, as had been
— Oates, Sayyid ‘Abbi Many of their direct ancestors had
his Brrachers of religious sciences and orators who regularly delivered
beer day Sermon at the Sacred Mosque [Masjid alflardm]. He was
re aoc aiced Wi a Boiibe OF lenoniledige and spiittvalny avid.reteived
avin all branches of Islimic knowledge, mainly from his father and
oom the most eminent scholars in Mecca, Jeddah, and Medina at
ve time. As was traditional with his ancestors, he was trained to love
cha fespect people of high spiriual rank and became deeply ached t0
whe great saints of his time, such as Habib ‘Abdal-Qdir al-Saqqaf and
Hubie Ahmad Mashhair al-Haddid in Jeddah and Sayyid Hasan Fad'aq
and Siyyid Muhammad Amin Kutbi in Mecca, When studying in C
he received special attention from masters such as Shaykh Salih ab-fafari,
the leading Maliki scholar of Egypt at the time, Shaykh al-Hafiz al-
nist, and Shaykh ‘Abdal-Halim Mahmad,

rector of al-Azhar University. He made special trips to Upper Egypt to
Misit che great Shaykh Ahmad Ridwin. He also had connections with
qumerous masters in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, India, and Pakisran.
He obtained a PhD in Hadith sciences from al-Azhar University in Cairo
in 1391 A.ET. Being much more proud of his title of Sayyid and that of
Shaykh al-Hadith, and the education he received at the hands of his father
and other traditional teachers, than of his university degree, he never
used the title Doctor in his books and always disliked being called so.
Sayyid Muhammad became the foremost Sunni scholar of

‘The generation of his father had been the fast when Mecca
t scholars and students came from all over the

world to acquire knowledge in the Sacred City. The prevalent political
conditions made ic very difficult fo scholars other than those belonging
to the official current to hold public teaching sessions, as had been the
uninterrupted practice in the Two Sacred Sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina
for over thirteen hundred years, As for those who held private sessions,
they were Fiequently harassed, and many were forced to stop altogether,

a

‘The Ldrisis, whose ancestor is Imam Hasan, as the Ba“Alawis, whose ancestor is Imma
Husayn, are eminent examples of fa from the House of the Prophet who receive their
‘owledge of Islamic sciences from solid unbroken chains of ancestors. Both, as are countless
‘her sarfian families throughout the Islamic work, are staunch Sunnis, which categorically

‘refutes the chim of the Shi'a that knowledge transmitted through the descendents of the
Prophet leads to Shi‘ism.

xix

MUHAMMAD (& THE PERFECT MAN

how Sayyid Muhammad found himself the oly schol to sang
in open defiance o the Wahhabis, although his opposition was inact
courteous ad schoaly, as had abnays ben an sil remains the wort
true Muslim scholars. The campaign of villfation and sander ty whe
he was subjected continued for mos of his life, escalating a one rime
the pont where he was declared ahr his passport was withdrawn fo
him, and he was prevented from travelling ab

road. This happened d
his conta relavions with che late King Fahd, who ondered his passe

had his piceure taken with him.

Sayyid Muhammad achieved worldwide recognition and became loved
and respected by Muslim scholars everywhere. They invited him to
lecture and attend religious occasions in most Muslim countris 10 some
of which, such as Egypt, Syria, and Morocco, he was a regular visitor. He
made several trips to Malaysia and Singapore, Indonesia, the Yemen, and
East Africa, and travelled all over Europe and North America. He made
one trip to South Africa and Pakistan. He was a man of great charisma
whose radiant presence in the Hijéz made him the rallying, point for all

young and old, who were proud of their veacher and considered
him the leading figure of their community.

Most of the registered students ac his school in Mecea were South East
Asians, but his teaching sessions were attended by great many local
students from Mecca and Jeddah, a substantial number of Yemenis, and
a few representatives of other nationalities, When he went to visit the
Prophet in Medina, there were daily teaching sessions in his house, and
he was invited by the people of Medina to attend gatherings practically
every night. In Ramadan, when the late Habib Muhammad al-
Mehdar held his Bukhari reading sessions every afternoon in the Propher’s
Mosque, he was always careful not to miss the closing session at the end
of the month and share in the long du‘a’ that concluded it.

Sayyid Muhammad raught people to love God and His Messenger. His
tremendous love for his ancestor the Prophet shone through his words,
deeds, and attitudes. He seta good example for those who strove to acquire
the prophetic virrues of tolerance, gentleness, compassion, and selfless
devotion to the cause of God and Islam, together with uncompromising
upholding of the truth and of justice. As a scholar he never stooped to
the crude methods of his adversaries, always maintaining the traditional

Foreword

courteous stance that he had inherited from his teachers when defending
his faith against often crude and spiteful attacks.

‘On two consecutive years before his death he visited his ancestor, Imam
tdris, in Morocco, and wrote a long poem in his praise.

(On Friday the 15" of Ramadan of the year 1425 AH. we received
ews that Sayyid Muhammad had died suddenly in Mecca. He was sixty
three lunar years old. We learned subsequently chat he had been putting
his affairs in order for months before that, as if in preparation for his
departure. Thousands attended his funeral, from Mecca and Jeddah,
and from elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula, Many more thousands
came in the next few days from all over the Islamic World to offer their
condolences to his brother Sayyid ‘Abbas, his son Ahmad, and the rest of
the family. He was buried in the Ma‘la Cemetery of Mecca ~ in the same
enclosure where his father had been buried, as well as numerous other
scholars and saints, at the northern end of the cemetery, 0 one’s right
as one approaches the tomb of the Propher’s first wife, the Lady Khadija
— leaving his son Ahmad to run the school in Mecca and continue the
regular teaching sessions in the tradition of their ancestors.

Mostafa Al-Badawi

AutTuHor’s INTRODUCTION

raise BE to Allah, Lord of the worlds; and blessings and peace

be upon our master Muhammad, the key to what was locked, the
jax! of what has passed, the helper of truth by truth, and che guide co
the straight path, and upon his Household and Companions, as is truly
merited by his status and magnificent rank.”

Much has been written on the prophetic biography (al-Sira al-
Nabawiyya) in its different aspects, not only in Arabic and Persian but
also in many Western languages, including English, in which more
works on the prophetic biography have been authored than in any other
‘Western language. English literature is richly endowed with studies
of this subject, because much effort was devoted by Western authors
to producing biographies of the Trusted Prophet, chus providing clear
proofs of the greatness of Islam's messenger and acknowledging that the
Blessed Prophet had succeeded in freeing his society from the effects of
slavery and ignorant customs, and from the yoke of base and degrading

+ The key to what wes locked means that the Prophet was the key with which the hearts
locked by false

the Qur'an states, a "Mercy to all beings”
He brought to humanity the knowledge of their Creator, Hit Oneness and Attribures, a Sacred
Law that constitutes the firse declaration of tuman righcs and that guarantees social justice, aa
ethical system that promotes selfiess compassion and sublime virtue, and 4 spiritual path that
leads to the realization of inward knowiedge of the Absolute. The seal of whet bat pasied means
that he is the very last in the long succession of Divine Envoys, his message being the synthesis
and perfection of all previous ones and his rank being the Master and Seal of all Prophecs. 7be
helper ofthe tru bythe iruth means that he supported che truth of the message with the power
both he did so ina craly upright

manner and wi
beth his example and instructions shows athers how to
forgiveness, and presence of their Lord, his being the
magnificent rank refers to his standing as Master and Seal of

the shortest route to che mercy,
be path. As bis bis standing and
ine Envoys, and consequently
Master ofall human beings, and his rank as Allah's Beloved and supreme incercessor on behalf
of hurnanity on Judgmenc Day. (Many thanks to Dr Mostafa al-Badawi for providing this
commentary. Note: This is the famous Solée ol-Faiib, taught by Imam ‘Ali & according co al-
‘Tabarini in al-Awsai and Tha Abi Shayba in his Musannaf]

MUHAMMAD j& THE PERFECT MAN

practices. One of them suid that his jh call raised the community (amma)
from the pits of misery to the heights of happiness in only a few years
Nevertheless, their works are not free from misrepresentations an
defamatory additions, and hus are not entirely trustworthy.

Yet no matter how much they write, and how many volumes they fil
with descriptions of his virtues, they could never possibly encompass all
the admirable qualities and pure, goodly attributes with which his person
& was endowed; for he reached the heights of human perfection when

Lord elected him to convey His divine message; thus he spoke not of
own caprice, but his words were naught bur Revelation being revealed,
And his Lord praised him by saying: ‘Verily, you are of a tremendous nature
[68:4]; and He said: “tnd had you been harsh and bard-bearted, they would
ave scattered from about you' (3:159]; and there are many similar passages in
this mightiest of books and finest of discourses. Thus it is beyond human
power to enumerate every one of his perfections.

His virtues are perfect, and were he to gift
His resplendence to the moon, it would never be eclipsed.

Despite their skill, those who have described him

Need all of rime to do so —and there is more they have nor described.

And che more man develops his civilisation, and further ascends the
ladder of progress, and the more his intellectual horizons broaden, he
will perceive more and more of the benefits thar Muhammad & offered
to all humanity.

Fourteen centuries have passed since the Messenger of Allah ® passed
on to the Supreme Assembly, and his greatness continues to fill hearts
and ears, and his remembrance remains the music of life for all those who
thirst to drink from the spring of his holy inspiration, and to partake of
the overflowing blessing of his unique valour and perfect greatness.

If the Muslims remember this Unlectered Prophet by way of sanctifying
the message he bore and conveyed from Allah to the corners of the world,
and through faith in the lofty doctrines and laws he brought forth, all of
humanity might remember him for being their unique Messenger, noble,
righteous and merciful, without compare in all of their long history.

+ ‘The assembly constituted by the superior angels and che spirits of past Divine Prophets
in the higher heavens.

Author's Introduction

auness was not drawn from any allegiance of kinship oF
restige or wealth, nor from the greatness of the nation in
he appeared nor from his high lineage or nobility. Rather his
i ee drawn from the majeety of his personality, the perfection
serait andthe broadness of hit orion, and from his being
the highest paradigm of the perfect man. It was drawn from how he
te ey ded while struggling for Allah's cause, and from his being the
Ine a esoenger elected by divine Providence from among all mankind
ae ‘Allah's message co the world, after a time had passed wherein
oget had come, and the people had gone astray and forgorten
wo uidanee of Heaven which they had been given by the prophets and
the Bogen in the past, Thus he came forth bearing che final message
ee all humanity on one doctrine, the primordial are in which

His # ere
any worldly P

llah created man. ;
Oe message called unto the doctrine of pure divine Oneness (tawhid),

and affiemed the principles of justice, freedom, equality and fraternity
tinong all people. In its lofty spirit, majestic teachings and noble goals,

‘onctitured the religion of humanity, upholding human dignity and
calling for love, mercy and cooperation, and for an awakening of the
conscience, a sense of responsibility and the honouring of covenants and
all that is sacred. It called for the spreading of knowledge and
and waged war on paganism, idolatry, misguidance, intolerance, wicked
and evil practices, errant caprice, harmful delusion, unbridled lust, false
superstitions and mindless customs. He gathered all people under one
banner of divine guidance, in the shade of a perfect message — the law of
Allah - and did not return unto his Lord until he had united the Arabs
pon it and invited the kings and rulers to it, sending envoys to give
glad tidings and warnings to Khosrau, to the King of Bahrain,’ to the
Abyssinians, to the ruler of Egypt, and to Heracles the Emperor of the
Byzantines,

His successors after him continued to bear the burden of guiding other
nations and setting humanity free, so that this message reached the
corners of the earth. Upon it there arose an enlightened civilisation, and
it still remains the doctrine of many narions and peoples, alive in both

7 What is meaat by Bahrain in ancient sources is not the current Kingdom of Bahrain bur

rather the whole territory along the western cose of the Gulf, which coday would include the
Enstcrn Province of Saudi Arabia, Kawai, and the Emairates,

MUHAMMAD J&A THE PERFECT MAN

its ethics and its laws, and will remain so until
and all upon ic to Himself, eer eRe
Once I was reading sirat al-Ma'ida when I came to the Almighty
words: ‘This day have 1 pereied for you your religion, and fulfled by
Savour upon you, and bove gladly bowen fer you ham as your religion [5-3]
1 stopped at this verse and reflected on it, and began to repeat it agnin
and again, tasting its sweetness and experiencing its eloquence, until my
whole body was moved by it. From it I concluded the following:

1 — Allah intended for this religion to be the seal of all religions, so
that no other religion would ever come after it to replace it, amend it o
conrect it, as He says: ‘Mubammad 1s not the father of any man among you,
yet be is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets’ (33:40). Because
of this, He placed within this religion sufficient laws, ethics and teachings
fo ensure it would be lasting and unending, and fitting for all times and
places, and able to give happiness to all mankind and to free humanity
from its fetters, and establish justice and truth among all people. All this
made this religion immutable, complete, preserved and unending,

As for its being immutable, Allah says: ‘Tlarn, then, your face toward
the religion in a pure fashion, in conformity with the primordial nature upon
which Allab has created men; there is no changing Allab's creation. This is the
immutable religion, bus most men know it not’ {30:30},

As for irs being complete, Allah says: ‘We lef nothing out of the Book’ [6:38].

As for its being preserved, Allah says: ‘Falsehood comes to it not from
before it, nor from bebind ii

‘And as for its being unending, Allah says: ‘Wé Ourselves bave sent down
the Remembrance, and We watch over it’ [15:9].

Completeness, preservation and endlessness are the primary qualities of
perfection, and these qualities make it the perfect religion.

2-= If che message of Islam is complete, immutable, preserved, endless
and perfect in every way, then the one whom Allah sends to bring it forch
and invite others co it must also be at chis level or indeed a higher one,
and have this same rank or indeed a loftier one, and be of this status or
indeed a greater one; for it is he who undertakes to bear the burden of
this message, and it is only logical that a great load can only be borne by
‘one who is greater than it.

Auchor’s Introduction

3 - Leading on from this subtle point and this noble standpoint, I
hat the Prophet Muhammad ff, who came forth with this
ion, raust himself be a perfect man, and perfect in every way:
s image and appearance, such that none who saw him ever

a the like of him, before or after:

He it is whose subele and physical formns were perfected,
‘Then the Originator of souls chose him as His beloved.

Perfect also in his character and nature, for his Lord said of him: ‘Verily,
you arcofa tremendous nature’ [684], Perfect t00 in his ethics and his way
Jrlife, for his Lord said of him: ‘Did He not find you an orphan, and shelter
you? And ind you wandering, and guide you? And find you needy, and enrich
jou? (936-8) He is the perfect man in every way, both physically and
spirtwally, and free ofall faule and blemish.

Created were you free of every blemish,

‘As though you were created just as you wished to be!”

4-1 wanted to have a share in writing about this truth, a truth which
is only denied by those who are guilty of grave folly and falsehood:

Ifthe blind man denies that the sun shines,
He harms it not at all, but reveals his own folly,

So I endeavoured to write about the perfection of this man f, and thus
Twrote this book, in which have spoken about some aspects of his
person; and I ask the Lord Almighty to inspire us with che truth, and to
guide us by His grace to that wherein there is goodness and righteousness.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds; and blessings and peace be upon
our master Muhammad, his Household and his Companions.

Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki al-Hasani

From the Bunda of Imam Busayri, chapter three. [t]

‘These lines are attributed to the Companion Hassin ibn Thabir . ()

ParT ONE

Twe PERFECTION oF His Susiime Girrs
AND EXALTED QUALITIES
‘Have We not expanded your breast for you,
and lifted your burden from you,

which so weighed down your back?
And have We not exalted your remembrance for you.” [94:1-4]

Sa

THE PERFECTION oF His PurE
AND NoBLE LINEAGE

pn ‘ABBAS dh reported that the Messenger of Allah j said: ‘I was
Tan by no fornication of pagan ignorance; I was sired by naught but
ponds of marriage, like the marriage of Islam.

Hishim iba Muhammad al-Kalbi reported that his father said: I wrote
five hundred ancestors of the Prophet $e, and found in them no extra-
marital bonds, nor any of the customs of the pagan ignorance’

‘ali & reported chat the Prophet & said: ‘I came from marriage, and
never from fornication, from the time of Adam until my father and
mother begat me. None of the fornication of pagan ignorance touched

"Ton ‘Abbas reported thac the Messenger of Allah gp said: “There were
no bonds of fornication whatsoever among my forebears, Allah continued
to pass me down from goodly loins to pure wombs, cleansed and refined.
No two branches diverged save that ! was in the best of them?

‘Anas & reported that the Messenger of Allah & recited ‘There has come
, and then said: ‘Lam the

by fornication.”

‘Kisha, che mother of the believers %, reported that che Propher
declared that Jibril said: ‘I searched the earth from East to West and
saw therein no man finer than Muhammad, and no tribe’ finer than the
sons of Hashim.”

Al-Bukhiri reports in his Sabi, on the authority of Abi Hurayra <&,
that the Prophet § said: ‘I was sent forth through the finest generations

‘The Arabic 2 in this verse may be read anfatkum or anfarkum; che former reading,
which is the more usual, means ‘your own selves’ (from anfu:, meaning ‘selves’); the latter
(hich the Propher & recites in this narration, as is seated by Anas here) means ‘the best of you’
(from anfes, measing ‘most precious, ‘most vahuablc). [t

* Literally ‘no sons of a man’
All these reports were narrated by al-Bayhaqi,al-Tabarin’ and Iba ‘Asikir,

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities
a

.rve the honour of his name,

of the sons of Adam, generation after generation, until 1 arri .
generation in which Iam? aarti Fe eal lewdness and were unblemished,
Muslim reports in his Sabib, on the authority of Wiila ibn al- Nae Till from Adam to his parents he came,

that the Prophet g said: ‘Allah elected Kinana from the
and elected Queaysh from Kinina, and eleced the sons of Hasan
Quraysh, and elected me from the sons of Hashim. aici

AMAbbis & reported that the Messenger of Allah #& ssid: \
created mankind and placed me in their finest group, idee kaa
cwo nations", He then appraised the tribes, and placed me in the be
household of them. Thus I am the best of them in person and the han
of them in household’ ~ that is the best of them in spirit and person se

yas
well as che best‘of thera tn lineage,

Tha ‘Umar & reported thar the Messenger of Allah & said: ‘Allah
appraised His creatures and chose from them the sons of Adam, and then
appraised the sons of Adam and chose from them the Arabs, and thes
chose me from the Arabs; and thus I remain a chosen one from chosen
ones, Yea; whose’ lores the Arabs, loves them. beeanse lic loves mey aud
whoso hates the Arabs, hates thema because he hates me.”

Know that he && was the only child of his mother and father, having
neither brother nor sister, which meant that their superiority would
pass to him alone, and their progeny would be confined to him alone,
and he would be singled out with a lineage which Allah ordained for
prophethood and chose for the ultimate nobility. Once you study his
lineage and discover the purity of his birth, you will be certain that he is
a descendant of noble forebears. He & is the Prophet whose identity is of
the Arabs, the Meccans, those of the Sanctuary, those of Hashim, and
those of Quraysh; he is the finest of the chosen sons of Hashim, elected
from the finest tribe of the Arabs and the noblest, purest, strongest,
mightiest, most eloquent, most just, most pious, most honourable snd
most generous of them, on both his father’s and mother’ side; and he
hailed fom the dearest of lands to Allah.

Pethaps the great hadith scholar Shams al-Din ibn Nisic aHDin al
Dimashaj said it best:

‘The forefathers of Mubammad &,

8 Gg. the Arabs and non-Arabs (Tider al-Abwoadhi). [4]
12 Al-Tiemidhi.
13 Al-Hakim, al-Bayhagi, al-Tabarini, etc.

10 u

Tuk Perrection or His Form, ANp
Tha BeautiruL Apprarance a

I

HIN RIRSRRD RACK

he most handvome of thes, wx though the sun
1 (oni fabaam)

now found Laced (kalo)
Meattabane ne
tioe

bat there was a certain count
i Messenger of Allah ie ws

featuees of hts
Both Aba Rake af Siddh
wl A face was like the cite al’ the
‘Abu al Autayt dk was asked to describe the Messenger of All
sabl: He was white and handsome of tice, When seul, it was:
ax though hie thee weee a mirror with the moon retlected in i

Hane caper three,
AL Drewuatls

At Diewidthn, Sbonna
Motion

Bape

,

ee

meh

Part Ones The Perfection of is Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

ns who deacribed the Messenger of Allah & agreed
and filled with light which shone with resplendence

reported chat his uncle Hind ibn Abi Hila said: “The
Be had great and stately attributes, and was honoured
ce shone like the light of the full moon.’

ama & looked upon him une moonlit night, and said of ix
» him ta the moon, and to me he was more

t Muluwwidh was asked to describe the Messenger of Allah
you scen him, yau would have seen the sun rising,”

‘I saw a man of visible radiance,
face bright; handsome and fair he was.”

jan who performed the pilgrimage alongside the

HIS CHEEK

As for his & blessed cheek, it was perfectly smooth and long, without
being high at its b:

HIS EYES

As for his noble sight, his Lord described it by saying: “The sight wavered
not, nor did it stray’ |S It is affirmed by authentic narrations that
the Messenger of Allah i could sce as well by dark night as he could by

bright duy, and that he could see what was behind him as well as he could
see what was in front of him,

Muslim,
AbTirmidhi,
Al: Temnidhi.

Al-Bayhagi,
AI Tirmoidhi and abBavhagh ete

MUHAMMAD f& THE PEZRPECT MAN

The hadith of Ton Abi Hila & states: “When he looked at something,
he would turn to it with his whole body. He would lower his gaze, and he
spent more time looking ar the ground than he did at the sky. He would
usually look at things casually, without staring* That is, he would
glance at things from the corner of his eye nearest the temple.

ur master ‘Ali & said: ‘His g& eyes were large, his eyelashes full; there
was a certain redness ro his eyes.”

Another narration says ‘his ge eyes were deep black”, and another has
it ‘reddish eyes"? (asbkal); this means a slight redness in the whites of the
eyes, which is attractive and desirable, as opposed to shabla, which means
a redness in the pupil of the eye.

HIS HEAD AND BROW

As for his fu blessed brow, it was broad and full; this is what ‘Alig,
meant by describing it as ‘smooth’, or in another narration ‘wide’, or in
another ‘large’; they all mean essentially the same thing.

His head was large which is whac ‘Ali $ meant when he described
him & as having ‘an ample head’. His ga eyebrows were long and arched,
bur not so long thar they actually mec in the middle.

HIS NOSE

His nose was curved (agnd), meaning that its top was high, its middle
curved, and its lower part wide, or that the middle of the shaft curved
ourward and the nostrils were narrow.

HIS MOUTH
His mouth was wide; and the Arabs praised wide mouths and disliked
small ones. His teeth were well-spaced, and his breath was fresh, and
his incisors rwinkled.

* AbTirmidht.

5 AL-Bayhaqi

4 ALTirmidhi.

Muslim.

* "That is, not crammed together too rightly, but perfectly positioned. [t]

4

PROPHETIC BEAUTY

1s well-established chat the Prophet # was endowed with aboot
peaury; but chis prophetic beauty Asean? » caterer : age
first is awe-inspiring majesty, and the second is :
ie meant chat hece vibo saw hirn & were noc bewitched by fe beat
as they were with Yusuf J; although Yasuf &# was endowed se Nei
al beaury, when the women saw him they cut cheir hands and $7 4
je rollab! Ths i nota buman, this is none otber than a noble angel! (12:31).

A poet said:

Had Zulaykcha’s ladies seen but the Prophet's brow,
They would have nor cut their hands, but cut their hearts.

As for the Prophet's f& awe-inspiring majesty, Hind iba Abi Hala said
ofit: “The Messenger of Allah # had great and stately actributes, and was
honoured as such by others.”

‘Ali a said: ‘Whoever saw hi unexpectedly would be awe-stricken.*
Others said that the Prophet & was the most dignified of people in his
gatherings. Once a man came to him and was sorely awe-stricken by
him and began to quake; so the Propher # spoke words to set him at
ease.” ‘Amr ibn al~As & said about the Propher’s $& presence: ‘I could
not look at him directly because of the awe he struck in me; and were I
to be asked to describe him, I would not be able to do so, because I never
took a firm look at him.” Ibn Abi Hala further described him: “When
he spoke, his companions would bow their heads as though they were
balancing birds upon them.

The Companions % were unable to look directly at him $ because af
» ALTiemidhi.
® AMTiemidhi.

"Abs Dawid.

SAbBokhiti, Ibn Mijab,
Muslim,

AlTirmidhi, Ubn S4'd, al-Tabarini,

MUHAMMAD g& THE PERFECT MAN

how powerful the awe he inspired in them was, and how dignified his
hearing was. This is why all our descriptions of him f& come from eh
youngest of them, or those who were in his care before the mission af
prophethood began, such as mn Abi Hala & and our master ‘Alig

"Another aspect of his awe-inspiring majesty and dignity was that chose
who sat with him fa would be fearful and might Degin to quake and
tremble because of the awe he inspired in them; and so he $ would be
gentle and kind to them to still their quaking.

It is reported that Qayla bint Makhrama said: “When 1 saw the
Messenger of Allah @ sitting humbly on his heels, I began to shiver in
fear, A man said: “O Messenger of Allah, the poor thing is trembling!”
"The Messenger of Allah # said, without looking round to see me: “Poor
girl, be at peace!” When he suid it, Allah removed the fear that had
entered my heart

‘Aba Mastid al-Badri -& said: ‘I was beating a slave-boy of mine for
some offence}, when 1 heard a voice from behind me say: “Watch out,
Abi Mas'ad!” I ignored him, out of anger, until he was upon me, and I
saw that it was the Messenger of Allah gs, When I saw him &, the stick
fell fom my hand in my awe of him. He said to me: “By Allah, Allah has
smote power over you than you have aver this boy!” [ replied: “By Allah,
Messenger of Allah, [will never beat another of my slaves again!”

‘As for the resplendent light with which the prophetic beauty is
crowned, we saw several aspects of it when we spoke of the description
of his é blessed face, Now this resplendent light was an intrinsic part of
him fo, and it vas the first of all lights to be created, as is attested by
che popularly well-known hadith: "The first thing Allah created was the
Jight of your Prophet, O Jabie”*

“AlZarqjini said of this: ‘Ab-Bayhagi also narrated
different form’ This is not contradicted by the hadith which alTirmidhi
narrated: “The first thing Allah created was che Peni, for the two may be
synthesised by saying that primacy of the Pen is only relative to all else
besides the Muhammadan Light. It has also been postulated that the
meaning of the primacy here is primacy of class; chat is, “The first light

Allah created was my light.’
‘Another narration that affirms this Muhammadan Light is what ‘Ali

in a slightly

> Muslim, Abi Dawid, al-Tirmidbi.
% — Narcated by ‘Abd al-Razaag al-Sun'ini (cf. l-Adawabib al-Ladunniyye).

16

2 agen

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

who heard from his grandfather
he hands of my Lord. This
in ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn
I known for his strictness
+ diligent of scholars in

jbo al-Husayn heard from his father,
that she Prophet # said: ‘I was light in
hadith is narrated by a Hifi, Abt. al-Hiasa
aL-Oattin in his Abkdm; Tbn al-Qarran is wel
in grading hadith, and for bog ae of the mos
eration, memorisation, and scrupulousness. :
This respleadent Muhammadan Light is further affirmed by ey
words There has come unca you rom Allah a ight, and a Clear Book! (5: 3}
Many seholars have stared thar the meaning of igh? here is Muhamm:
‘hs this can be found in the exegeses of al-Taba Tbn Abi Hatim,
oad al-Qurtubi. Qatida is reported 2s having He means
Muhammad &. ;

“Another proof ofthis Light isthe story, affirmed by mass trensmisiOl>
that when he g& was born his mother saw alight, and chere burst forth
from him a light which illuminated the palaces of Syria."

«A further affirmation ofthis Light is found in the hadith of al-Tabarinis
«And vwe saw what seemed to be a light shining from bis mouth. Tt is
<iported that fbn ‘Abbas 4 suid: ‘When he 6 spoke, someching like light
could be seen shining from between his incisors."

Tris further attested by the words of Ibn Abi Hila, as narrated by al-
‘Tirmidht in his Shama’il: “He had a light which shone above him.’

This also reported that our lady ‘isha said: ‘Once 1 was sitting, and che
Prophet && was mending his shoc. His forehead began to sweat, and light
began to shine from che sweat. I started in amazement, and so he said
“Whar makes you start 90?" I replied: “Your forehead began to sweat, and
the sweat gave off such bright light chat if Aba Kabir al-Hudhali had
seen you, he would have recognised you as more deserving of the poem

in which he said:

Free of any recrudescence of menses,
Or corruption of nursing, or dangerous illness.
And when you look at the features of his face,

Ibn Jawa, Taft
See al-Mawabib,

Al-Tirmidhi, al-
* This describes a conceived during the end of a menstrual period, and

‘whose mother did not become pregnant again whilst nursiag him, which would have had an
adverse affect on his nursing. [t]

ees

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

They shine with the radiance of a shimmering cloud.”

Now some ignorant people imagine that the meaning of his #& being
light is that his body itself emitted light; this is a delusion and a poor
understanding. It is as though they have made him @& a lamp or an
electric light; yet he & is far above being such a thing, Indeed, we have no
objection to the assertion that a visible light may have shone forth from
him §, just as it shines forth from radiant and light-emitting objects; but
this was not a constant thing, but rather occurred at certain miraculous
occasions when it was needed. Indeed, this has also been affirmed for
those who were lower than him #&, as it occurred to the great Companion
Usayd ibn Hudayr:

Anas & is reported to have said: ‘Usayd ibn Hudayr and ‘Abbad ibn
Bishr were with che Messenger of Allah § one night dark as pitch, They
spoke with him, and chen when they left, one of their staffs lit up so that
they could walk by its light. When they came to the point where they
went their separate ways, each of their staffs lic up so chat they each had
a light to walk by’

Something similar happened to the great Companion al-Tufay! ibn
‘amr al-Dawsi, who was nicknamed ‘he of the light: One time he went
to the Prophet #, who prayed for his people. He said, ‘Send me to them,
and give me a sign!” The Prophet & said: ‘O Allah, illuminate him!,
whereupon a light shone out from between his eyes. He said, ‘Lord, I fear
that they shall say 1 am ill” So the light moved to che end of his whip,

and thereafter would give him light on dark nights.“

Ibe ‘Asilar, Aba Nu'eym, al-Khagib.
@Al-Bukhari,
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr.

Tue PerFrect CARE HE TOOK OF HIS
BLESSED APPEARANCE

THE CARE HE TOOK OF HIS BODY

we Prornet f& would keep his body clean and command others
‘Ts do the same. He bathed every week, washed his hands before
and after eating, and cleaned his teeth with a tooth-stick (stwak) very

ies of his body clean and dirt-

free, trimming his moustache and his nails, plucking his underarm hairs,

and shaving his pubic hair,

He would enjoin and encourage cleanliness and warn against dirtiness,
saying: ‘Allah is goodly and loves what is goodly; clean and loves cleanliness;
generous and loves generosity; munificent and loves munificence.’* He &
also said: ‘Keep as clean as you can, for Allah has founded Islam upon
cleanliness; and none shall enter Paradise but all chose who are clean.®

The greatest sign of the cleanliness of his # blessed body was the sweet
scent of his blessed sweat, which was finer than ambergris or musk, and
the sweet scent that emitted from him in general, and diffused through
any street he walked down; and there is no doubt that this was one of his
& special and unique characteristics.

THE CARE HE TOOK OF HIS HAIR

He & would care for his blessed hair by cleaning it, combing it, and
growing it long. Anas & said: "The Messenger of Allah & would often oil
his head and comb his beard, and he frequently used a gina‘ (A gina is
a piece of cloth placed on the head when using oil, to protect the turban
from the oil.)

‘The like of it i narrated by al-Tabarini and al-Raff) (see Kash al-kbef),
© AbTiemidhi.

19

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

JHE CARE HE TOOK OF His EYES

bn ‘Abbas said: “The Prophet f used to apply kob! to his eyes every
night, three applications co cach eye.'®

THE CARE HE TOOK OF HIS TEETH

The Prophet f& would take care to clean the food from between his
teeth aficr cating. He J said: Ah, how fine are those of my corniunity
who clean in between (al-mutakballilan)! It was said, “Who are those who
clean in between, O Messenger of Allah?” He $& said: “Those who clean
in between when they make ablutions (wud), and those who clean in
between after eating. As for cleaning in between when making ablutions,
it is to rinse out the nose and mouth and wash between the fingers. As
for cleaning in between after eating,* ic is {praiseworthy} because there is
nothing more grievous to the two [guardian] angels than to see food in
their charge’s teeth as he prays.

Another way he 4 would take care of his blessed teeth and breath was
to make frequent use of the tooth-stick (siwak) on all occasions: before
praying, when making ablutions, before sleeping, after waking, when
coming home, and when going out, He would enjoin and encourage it
for others as well, saying: "The tooth-stick cleans the mouth and pleases
the Lord.’

He $e said: ‘Were it not that I feared overburdening my community,
I would command them to use the tooth-stick before every pray
version narrated by al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani has it:
them to use the tooth-stick before every prayer just as 1 obliged them to
make ablurions,”

THE CARE HE TOOK OF HIS CLOTHING AND COMPORTMENT

The Messenger of Allah @& taught us that good comportment and
beautiful clothing are among the traits and innate characteristics of the
prophets. Our master Muhammad J& is the leader of che prophets, and

AbTirmidhi

petes

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

therefore is the cleanest of all Allah's creation in body, clothing, hom
and company. It is reported that someone said of him: ‘I never ee oe
like of rhis man, nor anyone of'a more handsome face or cleaner clo a

He #& would ensure his appearance was beautiful, and encourage onl
tw do the same, say! is beautiful and loves beauty.”” '

He f would be concerned to dress well for occasions: if a delegation
came to him &&, he would make extra effort to receive them well, choosing
fine robe, shirt, or whatever he had to wear that was appropriate for
syhoever wae coming and their starus, On the days of Eid, he would wear
a special cloak for it, 25 well as for Fridays. He would enjoin this upon
ochers, saying: ‘Beaucify your clothes and make good your mounts, until
you become, 2s it were, 2 blazc among the people. He also # said:
“When Allah grants His servant a favour, He loves to see the effect of
this favour show upon the servant.* He ® also said: ‘One way for the
believer to honour Allah is to keep his clothes clean, and to be cootent
with a liccle’”

The Messenger of Allah f& forbade us from exposing our clothes 0
dirt, and commanded us to lift them above the ground, saying: ‘Raise up
your loincloth, for this will keep it cleaner and make it last longer.

THe CARE HE TOOK OF THE CLEANLINESS
OF HIS HOME AND HIS MOSQUE

‘The Messenger of Allah $ was also concerned with the cleanliness of
his home, and loved for it to be clean, and encouraged others to do the
same, saying: ‘Keep your halls clean?

He was also concerned with che cleanliness of the mosque, and would
be pleased with anyone who undertook to do this task. When the woman
who used to clean the mosque died and no one told him # of it until
after she was buried, he was deeply affected and said, ‘Why did you not
tell me? Then he went to her grave and prayed for her. There was a
certain man who would burn incense in the mosque, who was given the

|Tirmidhi, Absmad, eve
/e white stripe down the middle of a horse’s face. {t]

eee rece

Al-Tabarini, Aba Ne'aym.
Al-Bayhagi

21

MUHAMMAD @& THE PRRPRCT MAN

name Naim al-Mujammir because of how he would i
(ah nin tens al bare) etre ti
He fa did notshow this concern for his own mosque only, bute
that this be done in all mosques. A hadith aie “The Miscag og
Allah $ commanded us to build mosques in che neighbourhoods, and he
commanded us to keep them clean." Another narration of this hadith
adds: ‘And to perfume them [with incense]. 4
He also commanded that the places of ablution be kept outside the
doors of the mosques so that people would not get the mosques dirty
and he forbade people from spitting phlegm in the mosque} and told 24
that to clean mosques of even the smallest amount of dirt conceivable ig
an act greatly rewarded by Allah.

HIs BLessep voice

The Messenger of Allah & had a beautiful voice; Anas & told us of
this when he said: ‘Every prophet Allah sent had a beautiful face and
a beautiful voice; and your Prophet was the fairest of them in face and
voice.

Al-Barra’ ibn ‘Azib said: ‘The Messenger of Allah & recited sirat al-
Tin one evening prayer, and I never heard a finer voice.

Jubayr ibn Mur im said: ‘He & had a beautiful tone of voice." His voice
had a mellowness to it, as Umm Mabad said, meaning that it was soft and
also clear. His & voice was also powerful, and could carry further than
other voices: al-Barra’ said of it: “The Messenger of Allah $ addressed us
with a voice s0 powerful it reached even the maidens in their chambers.
Umm Hani’ said: ‘We used to hear the Prophet reciting in the middle
of the night at the Ka'ba, whilst I was in my bed."

‘The Aoars of the mosques at the time would have been plain earch, aot carpeted; until
comparatively recent times, in Europe too Roors were generally covered with sera, into which

4 AbTirmidhi

2 Al-Bukhiri, Muslim.
© AbDabhak.

© Ai-Bayhagi.
Tha Majeh.

THE PERFECTION OF THE
MUHAMMADAN HEART

ue HEART of our master Muhammad # is the best of all hearts,
Te the broadest, strongest, holiest, purest, softest, and gentlest. It
isan inated and awakened heart, overflowing with the resplendent
light of faith and the Qur'an.

‘The best of hearts is his # blessed heart; Ahmad and others narrate
that Ibn Mastad & said: ‘Allah Almighty looked at the hearts of His
servants and found the heart of Muhammad % to be the best of their
hearts; so He elected him for Himself and sent him forth with His
message. Then He looked at the hearts of His servants and found that
the hearts of his Companions to be the best of heir hearts, so He made
them the ambassadors of His Prophet %, sending them forth to struggle
for His religion. Thus what the Muslims see as good is good in Allah’s
sight, and what the Muslims see as evil is evil in Allah’s sight’

His # blessed heart is also the purest and cleanest of hearts, for his
blessed breast was opened in his youth, and all Satan's influence over
his heart was removed. Muslim and others narrate that Anas & said:
ibril $ carne to the Messenger of Allah & fin his childhood] while he
sas playing with his friends. He laid him on his back, opened his chest,
and removed his heart. He took a morsel of flesh from the heart, and
said: “This is Satan's share (of influence] over you.” He then washed the
heart in a golden vessel with the water of Zamzam. He then repaired it,
replaced it, and closed his chest. The boys went running to his (foster)
mother, saying: “Muhammad has been killed!” He then came to them,
and they found that his colour had altered.’ Anas added: ‘I used to be able
to see the mark left by the stitch in his chest #8.

‘The first time his g blessed breast was opened in this way was when
he was still a child in the care of his foster-mother Halimna. It happened
asecond time when he f was ten years old; the wisdom behind this is
that ten is near the age of moral responsibility: his & heart was opened
and sanctified so that it would not be marred by any of the flaws of men.

23

MUNAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

Ik happened again a third time when Jibril & came to him # co beg

the transmission of che message. The wisdom behind this — ay te
rightly-guided scholars have said ~ wes co honour and aid him $ Furche,
and co strengthen and prepare him so to receive what was about to hy
revealed to him with a firm heart, in the most perfect of sacred and
praiseworthy states.

It happened again 2 fourth time on the night of the Mi'rdj,~ as aj.
Bukhari and Muslim narrace. The wisdom behind this ~ as the righty.
guided scholars have said ~ was co further honour and magnify him, and
to further prepare him for the moment when he would stand before Allah
and partake of intimate discourse with Him, and for che illuminations
mysteries and manifestations of divine Majesty and Beauty which he war
about ro behold.

Al-Hafiz al-Qasrallini said, moreover, that all the reports of how his
& blessed breast was opened and his heart removed, and so on, detail
miraculous events which must be accepted as they are withour any
attempts to explain them metaphorically; for it is not beyond the divine
power to do such things, and none of it is impossible for Allah.

He also mentioned that ai-Suydti spoke of claims made by certain
ignorant people of his time that these events did not ceally take place,
and that it is all a metaphor for the ‘spiritual heart’, al-Suyditi said thar
such claims are manifest ignorance and grievous error, proving that Allah
has forsaken these people because of their obsession with philosophy and
their detachment from the subtleties of the Sunnah.

%

Allah gave His Messenger $ wakefulness of heart, so that he was
constantly aware of Allah and directed cowards Him, and never overcome
by heedlessness. His & heart was never heedless even as he slept; his
dreams were continuations of the Revelation. His sleep did not vitiate his
ritual purity as it does for the rest of us. This is attested to by authentic
hadiths:

Al-Bukhari and others narrate that ‘Aisha & said: ‘I said, “O Messenger
The Night of Isri' and Mi'rij~ che miraculous journey underraken by the Prophet & on
the mount Burag and accompanied by Fibril # from Mecca to the Aqsa Mosque, where he fled

2 congregation of all previous Prophets in prayer, and tam there onto the Seven Heavens and
beyond,

24

pS AY

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exaleed Qualities

of Allah, do you sleep before you offer the witr prayer?” He said: “O
‘isha, my eyes sleep, bur my heart does not.”

‘Al-Bukhari also narrated that Jabir & said: “The angels came to the
Prophet $ while he slept. (The narration of al-Tirmidhi has it: “The
Messenger of Allah # came out to us and “] saw in my sleep as
though Jibril were at my head, and Mikal at my feet’..) One of them
said: “Te is asleep.” Another said: “The eye sleeps, yet the heart is awake.
They said: “There is a similitude for your companion here.” He said: “So
give the si fitude, then!" They said: “His likeness is chat of a man who.
builds a house, and holds a great feast therein. He sends a messenger to
invite che people. Those who answer the messenger enter the house, and
partake of the feast; those who do not answer the messenger do not enter
the house, nor do they partake of the feast.” They said: “Explain it to him
so he understands.” One of them said: “He is asleep.” Another said: “The
eye sleeps, yet the heart is awake.” They said: “The house is Paradise,
and the Messenger is Muhammad §: whoever obeys Muhammad #
has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys Muhammad # has disobeyed
‘allah...”

narrated in his Sunan that someone came to the Prophet @
and said: ‘Let your eye sleep, and your ear hear, and your heart perceive!”
The Propher & said: ‘And so, my eyes slepr, and my ears heard, and my
heast perceived, It was said to me: “A lord built a house, and held a great
feast, and sent a messenger to invite the people. Those who answered the
messenger entered the house, and partook of the feast, and the lord was
pleased with them. Those who did not answer the messenger did not
enter the house, nor did they partake of the feast, and the lord was angry
wich them.”

“He said: “Allah is the lord, and Muhammad is the messenger, and the
house is Islam, and the feast is Paradise.”

25

LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF THE
OPENING OF His %& BLEssED Breast

1 ~ The great scholar Ibn al-Munie said: The opening of his & brea
and his & patient endurance of twas akin to the wil which All
sent to the Sacrificed One’; nay, it was even more difficul and tryin
because that was only symbolic, whilse this actually happened. What
more, it was repeated, and it occurred to him when he $ was still youn,
orphan, far from his family. 8
2 ~ Shaykh al-Islam Abd al-Hasan al-Subki, Allah have mercy on him,
was asked about the black morsel which was removed from his Shear
when his breast was opened, and the angel's words: “This is Satan’s share
[of influence} over you.’ He answered;

Allah created, in the heart of every human being, a morsel which ig
receptive to what Satan casts into it. This morsel was removed from his
& heart, so that there was no longer a place therein for Satan to cast
anything, This is the meaning of the hadith. Satan then had no influence
over him in any case; as for what the angel negared, it was the thing which
exists for the human race as a whole; the receptacle was removed, but its
existence in the first place did not mean that any demonic insinuations
would inevitably have been cast into the heart.

‘He was then asked, ‘Then why did Allah create this receptacle in his J
blessed being to begin with? Couldn't He have created him without it?”
He answered:

It is pare of the human being, and was creared to complete the human
form, and it had to be there; and its removal was a divine ennoblement
which came later.

Others said that had Allah created His Prophet in that way (without

“ The son of Ibrahim fb, affirmed by most scholars co have been Is amt)
4 Because Allah did not actually make Ibrahim & go abead with che sacrifice. [t]

26

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

the morsel), the human race would not have known anything about i;
rather, Allah left ic up to fibril $ to remove it, so that they would be
able to see the perfection of his inner form, just as they could sce the
perfecsion of his outer form,

3—Shaykh Aba Muhammad ibn Abi Jamra said:

‘The wisdom behind the opening of his 4 breast, though his heart
could have been filled with faith and wisdom without its being opened,
was (0 increase the power of his certitude: in being allowed to see his own
breast being opened without his being harmed, he was given an assurance
thac he was safe from all conventional dangers. This is why he §& was
the bravest of men in word and deed; and chus Allah described him by
saying: ‘The sight wavered not, nor did it stray’ [53:17].

4 —Concerning the wisdom of the repetition of this event, al-Hafiz Ibn
Hajar said, after mentioning the first, third, and fourth times:

Fach of these three has its wisdom: The first was during the time
of childhood, so that he $ would grow up in che most perfect state of
protection from Satan. Then when he was sent forth as a prophet, it
further honoured him so that he could receive whac would come to him
with a strong and perfectly pure heart, Then i happened again before he
ascended to the heavens to prepare him for intimate discourse [with Allah].

‘A-Hafig al-Shami said after mentioning and affirming the second time
in his Risab al-Tawbids

Twas asked about the wisdom of this second time, and sai
tight isthe age of reason and {near} the age of moral respons
breast was opencd and sanctified so that it would not be marred by any of
the flaws of men; and Allah knows best.

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar also said:

The wisdom behind this [repeated] washing may have been to attain
unto the thorough cleansing which occurs with the third washing, as was
che Prophet's & custom [when performing ablutions).

that since

Thats, just as when we perform ritual ablutions (wudi’) we wash our limbs three times,

27

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

fbn Abi Jamra, Allah rest his soul, said:

His fa heart was washed even though it was already sanctified and ready
to receive the goodness cast into it~ and it was first washed when he was
J will young, and the morsel was removed from it ~ a8 a veneration and
4 preparation for what he would experience there [on the Mi‘raj]. This
same prieciple is (nun in other places, such as in the ablution for prayer,
for the ablution fy nothing but 4 veneration and a preparation for standing
before Allah and partaking of intimate discourse with Him. This is
why itis Sunnah to wash more than once, even ifthe first washing was
sufficient; for the second and third washings are meant as veneration,
‘The samme i the case for the repeated washings of his & heart. Allah says;
‘And whosoever venerates the sacraments of Allab ~ that comes from the piety
of the bears [22:32]. The washing of his heart # was of this nature, and
was an allusion for his community to the veneration of sacraments, as is

conveyed by chese words.

Al-Burhan al-Nu‘mani, Allah rest his soul, said:

Iisa good action to bathe before entering the Sacred Precinct, so what
think you of entering the Holy Presence? Since the Sacred Precinct is
the physical realm, iis fitang to bathe the physical body before entering
‘And since the Holy Presence is in the spiritual realm, it is fitting to
bathe the inner being befure entering, it. Now he #& was taken up to the
prayer, and prayer requires purity; so he $e.
was sanctified both physically and spiritually.

Now you might say: ‘Allah created him J& as a light passed from one
prophet to the next, and light is pure enough not co need physical
Cleansing, And wasn't the first washing enough, for otherwise this would
imply that after his # prophechood began there was something in him
chat needed to be cleansed? Yer he is completely above being sullicd by
human Aaws.

5 - Al-Suhayli said:

so the Prophet & heart was also washed chree cme. [t]

28

part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

is occasion. If you look at the
see thar it is connected to dhahab
purity from him f
and cleanse him completely. Furthermore, if you consider gold and its
qualities you will see thar the cleanest and purest of materials.

— Ibn Abi Jamra said that the reason he f was not washed with the
water of Paradise is that the water of Zamzam jated in Paradise and
then setled on earth; this symbolises how his & blessing will always
remain on earth.

Others say that the water of Zamzam was first bequeathed to Ismail
, and he was raised on it, so chat his heart and his body grew by its
nourishment, so that he became linked to it and to the blessed land from
avhich ic sprung. Because of this, it was appropriate that the same be crue
of his sincere and sincerely-accepted descendant #. It also symbolised
how this would ever be especially associated with him; and on the day
of the conquest of Mecca, when auchority over the place became his $6,
he put al“Abbas & and his heirs in charge of watering the pilgrims, and
‘Uchmn ibn Shayba and his heirs in charge of draping the Kz‘ba, until
the Day of Resurrection.

71 ~ The wisdom behind his #& heart being washed with ice and cold
water, besides the fact that it is healing and fresh and unsullied with
impurities, is that it symbolised how he time had come for him # and
for his community to arise, and that it was time for the refteshing arrival
of his way and his noble law. It also symbolised the delight of his hearc’”
in the vicrory he would be granted over his enemies, and the coolness of

¢, his tranquillity towards hi ity in che forgiveness
and clemency he showed them, despite their sins.
Ibn Dubayya sai

He washed his #& heart with ice to symbolise the imparting of cold
certitude to his heart, He used to say in the prayer, after reciting Qur'an:
‘0 Allah, cleanse me of my faults with ice and cool water? Allah wanted
to cleanse his § heart with water borne from Paradise in a golden vessel
filed with wisdom and faith, so that his heart would know the joy of

‘Thubij al-sadr, an Arabic expression which
metaphorically 10 racan ‘Joy’, {t]

2

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

Paradise and taste its sweetness, which would make him all the m
detached fom this world and eager ro call mankind unto Paradise.
was also because he had enemies who were saying evil chings abous hire
go Allah wanted fo remove from him the human traits of ansery sf
affense caused by enemies; He washed his $& heart to impart peace of
mind co him, and rid him of any anxiety, as He says: ‘Well We fry
that your breast is sratened by what they sy’ (15:97). With the reperse
washings of his & heart, he became such that even ifhe were stuck, g
his head was split and his teeth broken, as happened at Uhud, he would
say:‘0 Allah, forgive my people, for they know not?

8 — The scholars differ over the meaning of the word ‘wisdom’ (bikma),
Ir has been said that it means knowledge that comprises gnosis of Allah,
penetrating insight, refinement of soul, and acting in accordance with the
truth and keeping away from its opposite; the wise man is the one who
has all these things. Imam al-Nawawi said: ‘This is the synthesis of the
best we have heard said on the matter.

The word bikma can also be used as a euphemism for the Qur'an, which
contains all of this, and 2s a euphemism for prophethood as well. It could
also mean simply knowledge, or simply gnosis, or the like,

Al-Hafiz lbn Hajar said:

‘The most correct definition advanced for it is that it means to put things
in their right places, or to understand the Book of Allah. According to the
former” explanation, wisdom might exist apart from faith; according to
the latter,” they are inclusive of each other, since faith indicates wisdom.

Iris also worthy of note that the great Knower of Allah, al-Habib Imam
Sayyid ‘Ali al-Habashi, composed these lines concerning the opening of
the prophetic chest and the removal of Satan's share from it:

‘The angels took no blemish from his heart;

7 ‘The occasion for this discussion is the hadith narrated by Muslim wherein the Prophet
described the occasion when his heart was washed before che Mi ing: ‘..[Jibil] brought
forth a vessel of gold filled with wisdom and faith and emptied
7 thn Hajar’s expression here has ‘second’ (tedni), bur [ cannot see how he cor
to anything bur che former definition (0 put things in ch
si -xpression here bas first’ (eum), buc I cannot sce how he could be referring
to anything bur the larter definiion (‘o understand rhe Book of Allah’) [t}

be referring

30

part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

‘They only increased the purity he already had!

Another meaning occurred to my heart as well, which is thar the heart
of our master Muhammad % was filled with mercy ~ nay, the font
and source of mercy, as Allah says: ‘And We sent you not but as a mercy to
the worlds (21:107]. This mercy was comprehensive and total, because it
ie the mercy of Allah Himself, which encompasses all things. But Allah
» removed Satan, his aids, his brethren and all the damned from chis
mercy, 30 that they have no share of it. The me:
angels removed from his %& heart Satan's share of his mercy, so that Satan
will not partake of this mercy. Allah knows best.

Be

Tue PERFECTION OF His @ INTELLECT

A eerrect intellect is the root of good qualities and upright
attributes, and by its means vircues are attained and vices avoided,
Tr leads one to all that is good and virtuous. This is made clear by the
hadich which tells the tale of how Khalid ibn al-Walid entered Islam,
Khilid & told of how he went to the Messenger of Allah # and grected
him: ‘He answered my greeting with a cheery face. I said, “I testify chat
there is no god but Allah, and thar you are the Messenger of Allah.” He
said, “Come forward”, so I went forward. The Messenger of Allah & said,
“Praise be ro Allah, who has guided you; indeed, I saw that you had an
intellect which I expected would lead you only unto goodness.”
‘Al-Tabarani narrated, on the authority of Qurra ibn Hubayra §, that
he went to the Prophet %, and said: ‘We used to have gods and goddesses
whom we worshipped instead of Allah aw: we called them, but they did
not answer us; and we asked them, but they did not give unto us. So we
‘0 you, and Allah guided us through you, and now we worship
Allah’ The Messenger of Allah {& said: ‘Successful indeed is he who is

granted sagacity.

‘The intellect of our Master Muhammad f, the Messenger of Allah,
reached a level of superiority and perfection not reached by anyone but he,
by Allah's grace and favour over him 4.

‘Allah aw said: [Nan. By the pen, and by chat which they write, by the
grace of your Lord, you are not mad] [68:1-2]. Thar is, you are at the
highest level of intellectual brilliance and distinction, for Allab a» has
sworn by His word [Nun], which is abundane divine assistance; and by
the original, comprehensive pen; and by that which the recorders write
in the highest of stations, the scratches of whose pens the Messenger of
‘Allah fe beard; and by char which is written by all the pens derived from

the original one.
With this mighty oath, Allah bore witness co the extensiveness of the

* Ab Beyhagi.

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

iprellect of this noble Messenger f&, and declared that there was no trace of
madness him, and that he was the possessor of nothing less than a perfect
intellect, and superior breadth of knowledge. How should his intellect not
be above all intellects, when Allah has blessed him, and favoured him,
and chosen him for the final, comprehensive prophetic message, and the
revelation of the Qur'an, in which all knowledge is encompassed? Such a
essing cannot be borne except by one whom Allah has distinguished with
the most complere and superior of intellects. For this reason, He said: [By
the grace of your Lord, you are not mad, That is, by virtue of your Lord's
blessing you with prophethood and revelation, and the Qur'an, which
comprises the entirety of knowledge and wisdom, you are not mad. This
negates what the Propher’s # enemies fabricated about him, and decisively
confirms the superiority of his intellect and wisdom.

“How can it be conceived that the one who received revelation of the
Qur’in, which comprises the entirety of knowledge and learning, and
received revelation of the highest wisdom, above all others, could have
had the slightest hint of imbalance, or imperfection?*

The upright Tabi, Wahb ibn Munabbih, from whom Bul Muslim
and others narrared hadith, said: ‘I read seventy-one scriptures (from
previous revelations), and deduced from all of them that Allah a» did not
give to any of humanity, from the world’s beginning to its end, ects
comparable to Muhammad's & intellect, except as a single grain of sand
compared to all the sand in the world; and [I deduced from them] that
Muhammad % is the most intelligent and soundest in judgement of all
humanity."

‘The perfection of his # intellect was manifested in how he # confronted
aworld whose every realm was infested with ignorance to the extent that
the people had utterly lost their minds, and changed this mentality into
asoond and righteous mentality. To do this requires sound intellect and

correct thought; and there is no doubt that this was achieved by means
of the teachings of the Most Wise and the inspiration of the Lord of the

worl

. But even divine teachings and inspirations require an illurninated
lurninating intellect, divinely prepared to convey them.

% Shaykh Abdallih Sirijuddin al-Husayni, Our Master Muhammad fe The Mewenger of Alla
‘{Ganni Publications 2008), vol. f, pp. 119-120.
® Sharh al-Mawabib.

33

MUHAMMAD J THE PERFECT MAN

The perfection of his & incellect was also manifested in the way he
& reasoned with the idolaters and presented his proofs to the Jews
and Christians, and how he convinced them, dumbfounded them and
frustrated their arguments.

The perfection of his J intellect was also manifested in the way he
taught the young man who came to him asking permission to fornicate
by saying: ‘Would you like it if people fornicared with your mother, your
sister, or your daughter?" The man said no. ‘Other people hate this, too,
said the Prophet #&. The man’s only response was to say: ‘I call you to
witness that I have repented of fornication!”*

The perfection of his intellect was also manifested in the wisdom
he displayed on the day that Quraysh bade him pass judgement over
the issue of the Black Stone. The story is that when Quraysh rebuilt the
Kiba, they disagreed as to who would have che task of setting the Black
Stone in its place; every cribe wanted to have the honour of placing it
alone. The dispute became heated, to the point where two tribes, ‘Abd
al-Dar and ‘Adi, dipped their hands in a basin of blood and vowed to fight
unto the death.* Quraysh were unable to resolve che conflict for four of
five nights, until finally they gathered at the Sanctuary and reached a
compromise, agreeing that they would bid whomever next entered the
door of the Sanctuary to make the decision. It so happened that the first
to enter was the Messenger of Allah %. When they saw him, they said,
‘Ah, it is the Trustworthy One! We are happy to let Muhammad decide.’
When he came to them and they explained what was to be done, he
& bade them bring him a cloth, When it was brought forth, he placed
the Black Stone in the middle of it and instructed each tribe to take hold
of a piece of the cloth’s edge and lift it up all together. They did so, and
carried the Stone over to its proper place, and then the Prophet # set it
own hand.”

in its place with

7 Ahmad.
"A pagan Arab custom. [{)
™ Sharh al-Mamébib.

His & VIGILANCE

HE PERFECTION of his & intellect was further manifested in the
T gilant way he dealt with those who declared enmity against him,
and the precautions he took against them, and how he caused their
schemes to backfire, One example of this is how he instructed Zayd ibn
‘Thabic & to learn the script and language of the Jews, in order to be
guarded from their plots and schemes.” This is why i is said, ‘Learn a
people's language and you will be safe fiom their plots’

Before the battles of Badr and al-Abzab, he f& sent out scouts to find
out how many troops the enemy had and how well armed they were. This
indicates his complece vigilance, in which the perfection of his blessed
sotellecr was manifested. On the day of al-Abzab, he J sent Nw‘aym ibn
Masiid al-Ashjai to infiltrate the ranks of the enemy and spread dissent
among them, saying to him: ‘Sow dissent {amongst ther] for us, if you
can; for war is deception.” Likewise, he $ would conceal his military
strategies from his enemies so that they could not discover them and
prepare for chem or gather more forces to meet them; and this saved
many lives.

Al of this shows his perfect vigilance in utilising the means for
protection and caution, or the means for striking fear and dread into the
hearts of enemies; and all this was due to his % perfect intellect.

% Ab-Hafiz -/Asqalini, in ai-[edba, ascribed it to Bukhiri as a narration of tallig (2. one in

which he mentioned the chain of narration whilst not meationing one or more narrators on his

‘ad of ehe chain), and co al-Baghawi and Aba Yala with unbroken chains of transmission
Al-Tabari, al-Mucawi,

35

His & AMIABILITY IN SocraL
SETTINGS

Tee PERFECTION of his & intellect was farther manifested in his
friendliness and amiability when interacting with people, whatever
their social status, in order to win their affection and draw them towards
the truth which he had been sent to convey. He would be sociable with
fools and simpletons in order to curb their mischief and evils, and to
attract their hearts to righteousness and guidance. He would meer even
the worst of people with a cheery face, in order to win their affe
He # would say: ‘Sociability towards others is charity: Sociability
is a praiseworthy qui and is not the same thing as sycophancy; for
sociabi ice a worldly matter for the good of something
else, whether worldly, religious, or both; sycophancy, on the other hand,
means to sacrifice a religious matter for the sake of a worldly one.

© tba ‘Udayy, al-Tabariini.

36

His & Wisk SELEcTiIon or ENvoys

HE PERFECTION of his & intellect was further manifested in his
"T acton of intelligent, sagacious envoys to be sent to rulers and ings
to spread the message and advance wise and well-reasoned arguments.
‘This is apparent from the skilful way they presented their case to these
kings, and the powerful reasoning they employed

An example: The Messenger of Allah % sent al-‘Ala’ ibn al-Hadrami
to al-Mundhir ibn Sawa with a written message inviting him to embrace
Islam. When al-‘Ali’ reached al-Mundhir, he said: ‘O Mundhir, you are
aman of great sagacity, so do not allow yourself to be humiliated in the
hereafter. This Zoroastrianism is an evil religion, which does not befit
the nobility of the Arabs. Jt is not a characteristic of the people of true
scripture that they marry those whom it is shameful 10 marry," or that
they eat chat which it is dishonourable to eat, or that they worship in this
world the same fire chat will consume them on the Day of Resurrection.
You are not a senseless man, nor a simpleton. Ask yourself, if a person
about this worldly life, is it appropriate to doubt him? If a
person is never disloyal, is it appropriate to suspect him? Ifa person never
fails to keep his word, is it appropriate to mistrust him?

‘If all chis is so, then here we have an unlettered prophet of whom,
by Allah, no intelligent person can say: “If only he had prohibited that
which he has enjoined, and enjoined that which he has permitted,” or:
“If only he would be more merciful, or less severe in requital.” In all of
these respects, he is in line with the expectations of those endowed with
intelligence, and the thoughts of those endowed with discernment.

Mundhir said to him: ‘I have examined this Zoroastrian religion of
mine, and have found it to be of use for this world, but not for the
Hereafter. | have examined your religion, and found it to be of use both
for the Hereafter and for this world. What is there to prevent me from
accepting a religion in which there is contentment and repose in
death? Yesterday I was astounded by those who accepted it; today I am
astounded by any who would refuse it. Part of extolling a message is to
°

‘This refers to che ancient Zoroastrian practice of adulterous marriage. {t}

7

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

extol the Messenger. I will consider the matter.’

‘Now the meaning of al-Mundhir's statement ‘I will consider the matcey
is that he would consider whether he would go and visit the Messenger of
‘Allah @ or write to him, not that he would consider whether to embrace
Islam or not; his words ‘today I am astounded by any who would refuse
it’ show that he considered Islam to be the true religion.”

‘Another example: The Messenger of Allah fj sent a-Mubdjir ibn Abi
Umayya al-Makhzimi, the brother of Umm Salama the Mother of the
Believers, to al-Harith ibn ‘Abd Kulil, one of the kings of Hlumayr. When
al-Muhajir met al-Harich, he said: ‘O Harith, you were the first of those
to whom the Prophet showed himself, and you neglected him. You are
one of the most powerful kings; yet, when you consider the supremacy of
kings, consider also the One who will conquer all kings. IF today pleases
you, fear tomorrow; for there were kings before you whose traces are
gone but whose legends remain. They lived long, and their hopes were
high but their preparations scant. Some of them were taken by death,
and some of them were consumed by misfortune. I call you to the Lord
who, if you desire guidance, will not withhold it from you; and if He
desires anything for you, no one can Keep it from you. I call you to the
Unlettered Propher: there is nothing finer chan chat wh ich he enjoins,
and nothing fouler than that which he prohibits. Know thac you have a
Lord who deals death to the living and gives life to the dead, and who
knows the treachery of the eyes and what the heart conceals."

‘Another example: Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a said: “The Messenger of Allah
& sent me with a written message to aKMugawgis, King of Alexandria.
T took the Messenger of Allah's & message to him and he brought me
into his home, where I spent several nights. He then sent for me, having
assembled all his priests, and said: “I will now say things to you which
T hope you will understand.” I bade him go on, and he said: “Tell me
about your companion: is he not a propher?” “Indeed he is’ I said, “he is
the Messenger of Allab.” “Why chen’, he said, “did he not pray against
his people when they expelled him from his hometown?” I said to him:
“Consider Jesus, son of Mary: do you testify that he was the Messenger
of Allah?” He said that indeed this was so. “Then why”, I said, “when his
people seized him and wanted to crucify him, did he not pray to Allah

= ‘Sharb al-Mandbib.
© Ab Rawd al-Unuf,

38

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

‘ ,
w destroy be [He did not], and in the end Allah raised him up into
“Well done”, [Mugawais] said, “You are wi

a ewe Hare are some gis or you to ake bake Makererend a
I shall send guards with you to protect you on your homeward ‘our .
He gave the Messenger of Allah @ three maidservante, one of theg
tater bore Ibrahim, uhe son of the Messenger of Allah is another the
Messenger of Allah & gave to Abi Jahm ibn Hudhayfs al-Adewt; and
another he gave to Hlassin ibn Thabit al-Angari. He aleo al
made of their fine cloth.™ Same eS)

“ Al-Bidaya wal-Nibaya,

His & Perrect Puysicat STRENGTH

A= CoNaINED in our master Muhammad $& both courage of
heart and strength of body; and this constitutes perfect masculinity,

Our master Jabir § said: ‘On the day of the Trench, we were digging
when I came across a rock which could not be budged. They went to the
Prophet & and said, “This rock is blocking us from digging the trench.”
He said, “I will go down”, and then did so. When he stood, [f could see
thar} there was a stone tied to his stomach” ~ for we had not eaten in
three days. The Prophet #& took up the shovel and struck the rock, and
it shattered into powder."

Some narrations of this story state that they did noc go to the Messenger
of Allah & until after they had proved unable to move the rock, and
broken cheir spades on it; these narrations also state that the Messenger
of Allah & only struck the rock three times before it broke. His §
strength was such thac the rock could only withstand three blows from
him after having completely exhausted his Companions 2h despite their
best efforts to budge it. This was how strong he # was after going three
days without eating, so that he had to tie a stone to his stomach to abate
his hunger. We al! know how hunger weakens the body ~ so what do you
imagine the hunger of going three days without food would be like? Had
he & not been so hungry, there is no doubt that his strength would have
been even greater still - and can you imagine chis strength?

Ishaq ibn Yassar reported that the Messenger of Allah & said to Rukina
ibn ‘Abd Yazid: ‘Enter Islam.’ He replied, ‘If knew what you say to be
true, | would do so.’ Now Rukana was one of the hardiest of people
around, so the Messenger of Allah & said to him: ‘Tell me ~ if J were
to outwrestle you, would you know that it is the truth?” He said yes, so
the Messenger of Allah # stood up and outwrestled him. ‘Do it again,
Muhammad’, he said, so the Messenger of Allah & repeated the feat,
taking hold of him and throwing him to the ground a second ime.
Rukiina stormed away, saying: ‘Such sorcery as this have I never seen in

© To prevent ic from distending through hunger. [t}

% Al-Bukhari, ho $id, Tbn Jars, thn Abi Hitim, al-Bayhagi, Abi Nuaym.

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualisies

my life! By Allah, I was powerless to do anything when he pinned my
side to the ground.""Another narration of chis story, reported by Rukina
himself, states that indeed he did enter Islam after this - may Allah be
pleased with him!

Reflect on Rukin’s words ‘I was powerless to do anything when he
pinned my side to the ground’, From these words we can see chat Rukana
i was easily overpowered by the Prophet's & hand as if he was nothing,
even though Rukana was in fact the strongest man of Quraysh, and had
never been outwrestled by anyone before that day,

* Abi Nu‘rym, al-Bayhaqi.

41

His & PerRFEcT KNOWLEDGE*

Ts Massencer of Allah was endowed with broad knowledge
and deep understanding; Allah showered him with an abundance
of beneficial knowledge and profound wisdom. Allah acknowledged the
breadth of his knowledge and announced the magnitude of his virtue by
saying: [Allah has revealed unto you scripture and wisdom, and taught you
whar you knew not. The grace of Allah upon you has been great) [4113].

He this the most knowledgeable of Allah's creation, and the most well-
acquainted of them with Allah; al-Bukhart and Muslim narrate that he
& said: “The most god-fearing (arqa) of you, and the most knowledgeable
(alam) of you concerning Allah, is 1.’ The narration of Asili has it: am
the most well-acquainted (a'raf)* of you with Allah.’

Whoever ponders Allah's instruction of His messengers and prophets
(may Allah bless them and give them peace), as mentioned in the Holy
Qur'in, will plainly deduce that our master Muhammad J was given by
Allah knowledge of the greatest, amplest, broadest, and most extensive
degree. This is because Allah go said: [And [He] taught you what you
knew not), using che term [what], which implies comprehensiveness and
encompassinent, thus including all the knowledge that Allah ss conveyed
unto His messengers and prophets, as well as all the other chings that
Allah 4» conveyed unto him g alone.

'Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrate® that Anas & said: ‘The people would
continuously put questions to the Prophet of Allah #, until they had
asked him a copious amount of questions. One day, he J came out and
climbed the pulpit and said: “Ask me: you will not ask anything except
thar I will answer it for you" ... Never have I seen good and evil such as I

% This chapeer is largely drawn from Imam ‘Abdullah Sirjuddin® stay of the Prophets
Iesombedge in Part Il of Our Mater Mubammad &, v0) and may be consideced a sumenary of

1 The differeace becween the Arabic cerms ‘lm (knowledge) and matrifa (acquaintance) i
subtle, and the owo are often used interchangeably in ordinary speech. {t]

‘©The wording here is that of Muslim.

One narration has it that he said: except thac I
es J otand here.

orm you concerning it, long

42

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

have seen this day: Paradise and Hell were shown to me, and T saw them
right in front of this wall.”

One aspect of the breadth of his & knowledge is that Allah gave him
the Quran, with all the teachings and truths that are gachered therein.
‘The Quran is an ocean of knowledge and wisdom; and ‘Alf ibn Abi Talib
‘g soid: “IPT spoke 10 you about surat al-Fatiba, it would over-burden
seventy camels.’ Whar, then, of the knowledge of our master Muhammad
fe, and the understanding that the Qur'an imparted unto him?

"Another aspect of the breadth of his fu knowledge is the many aspects
ofthe unseen (al-ghayb) that Allah imparted unto him. Allah says: {{He
ig] the Knower of the unseen, and He discloses His secret to none / save
those Messengers whom He has chosen...) (72:26). Allah divulged many
aspects of the unseen to him 4, including his J knowledge of everything.
from the beginning of creation until the people of Paradise enter Paradise
and the people of Hell enter Hell. This is affirmed by the hadith narrated
by al-Bukhart on che authority of ‘Umar ibn al-Khagtab J, in which he
said: ‘The Messenger of Allah $ stood before us and informed us of
everything from the beginning of creation until the people of Paradise
enter Paradise, and the people of Hell enter Hell. Some of us remembered
i, and some of us forgot it.’

Al-Bukhari and Muslim also narrate that al-Hudhayfa said: “The
i & stood before us and spoke, and did not leave anything,
occur] until the Hour without making mention of it; some
of us retained knowledge of it, and some of us did not. Thereafter 1 would
see things I had forgotten and recognise them, just as one recognises aman
one used to know when seeing him after a long absence.’

‘The Prophet % also gave information about that which would come to
pass after him until the Day of Resurrection, Muslim narrates that ‘Amr
ibn Akhtab al-Angari & said: ‘The Messenger of Allah & led us in the
dawn prayer one day, and then ascended the pulpit, and spoke to us until
the midday prayer arrived. He came down, prayed, and then climbed the
pulpit again, and spoke to us until the afternoon prayer. He came down,
prayed, and chen climbed the pulpit again, and spoke to us until sunset.
He informed us of everything that would come to pass until the Day of
Resurrection; the best informed of us are those who remember best.’

So he fe did not leave a single matter that would come to pass until che

* That is, che books on which chis would be written (t}

4B

MUHAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

Day of Resurrection without informing them of it.

Aba Dawad narrated that Hudhayfa & said: ‘By Allah, [ do not know
if my companions were made to forget, or if they simply forgot. By Allah
the Messenger of Allah % did not neglect to mention a single mischief,
monger until the end of the world whose supporters numbered three
hundred or more; he identified cach one by his name, his father’s name,
and the name of his cribe. 9

It is also reported thar he & informed us about all the various tidings of
the Hour, minor, medial and major; and the conditions of the Hereafter
and its partitions; and the condition of the people of Paradise and the
people of Hell, and details of all that is concerned with them. All of this
is clearly shown in the books of the Sunnah. This is evidence of the
breadth of the knowledge that Allah bestowed upon him ¥.

Another aspect of this was his & knowledge of the different realms (a/-
quali), as is attested co in the rigorously authenticated hadiths of the
j, which tell how he J& was taken up to the seven heavens, entering

them all one by one, and seeing within chem all chat he saw; and how he
met with the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). It is also
related chat Allah showed the realm of the Throne to him 4; for he &
spoke about the Throne, saying thar it is the vastest of all realms, and
that it has a shadow, and has legs, and is encrusted with treasures, He
# also spoke about che Throne-bearers and their strength and might,
The Musnad nareates thac the Prophec # said: I am Muhammad, the
Unlertered Prophet, and there shall be no prophet after me! [He repeated
his three times.] I have been given the openings and the keys of speech,
and I have been taughe the number of the keepers of Hell, and the bearers
of the Throne...

It is also related that Allah showed him #& the realms of Paradise and
Hell, which were made manifest co him on numerous occasions, as in the
hadith of the Mi‘raj: ‘.. Then I was entered into Paradise, wherein were
domes of pearl, and whose dust was fragrant musk,’

It is also reported that Allah showed him &@ the realm of the Isthmus
(al-Barzakh), and its states and affairs; and the realm of the Gathering
and the seate of mankind therein; and the realms of the Presentation (al-
Ard), the Pool, the collection of the Records, the Reckoning, the Scale,
and the Bridge; and the condition of the denizens of Paradise and the
denizens of Hell; and he $ spoke of all these realms, and described them

44

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

in derail.
It is also reported that Allah showed him 4 the higher realms, and

ghar takes place among the Supreme Assembly," and their contention
‘ver aconements and ranks"; and all things were revealed co him, and
he gained knowledge of chem, as is related in the hadith narrated by ab
‘Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and others in which he % said: ‘I woke one night and
prayed that which was destined for me; and I dozed in my prayer, until
my sleep became heavy. I found myself with my Lord as, and He said to

For what does the Highest Gathering contend? 2

hadith shows that Allah granted the Propher % such extensive
knowledge that he said: ‘And so all things were cevealed ro me, and I
recognised them.” Then He said to me: “O Muhammad! For what does
the Highest Gathering contend?” I said: “For atonements, and ranks...”

‘Another aspect of the breadth of his #& knowledge is his # familiarity
with the various sp of creatures and the living things, the laws" chat
govern them, and their circumstances, and all other details concerning,
chem.

Al-Tabarani narrated, with a chain of narration the men of which
are all rigorously authenticated, thar Abii al-Darda’ y, said: ‘Before the
Messenger of Allah & parted from us, there was not a single bird flying
its wings save that he had taught us some knowledge pertaining
to it! In another narration, al-Tabarini added that the Prophet s:
‘There is nothing that draws one close to Paradise, and distances one
from Hell, save chat I have made it clear to you a

Thus we see that he g& imparted to the Companions a great deal
of information about the world of birds, which is evidence that his &
knowledge of the species of the entire world must have been vast. It is
also evidence that he % clarified every important matter of creation that
pertained to the benefit of the world and the happiness of mankind, in
whatever way it might have been. For if he took it upon himself to pass
on information about the world of the birds, how could it be imagined

* Of angels.

™ For mankind.
Jn one narration: “and He taughe me all things,’ and in another: ‘and Hie did not ask re
anything sive thar I knew it!

* Whether natural or religious.

* Imam Abmad’s version has

lapping its wings in the sky.”

45

MUHAMMAD @ THR PERFECT MAN

that he neglected ro clarify any derail concerning the betterment of
mankind, failing to mention it and yet mentioning the world of the birds
and its details? It cannot he imagined; rather, the Prophet & surely tolg
us of all that is needed to achieve becterment and happiness for mankind
the fact remains that the oceans of his # knowledge cannoy
be encompassed by any but Allah, who showered them upon him. al.
Bukhari and Muslim narrate™ that Anas & said: ‘The Prophet & came
out one day when the sun passed its zenith, and prayed the midday
prayer. When the prayer ended, he ascended the pulpit, and mentioned
the Hour, and said that hefore its arrival would come grave matters, He
then said: “Whoever wishes to ask about anything, let him ask now, for
by Allah, there is nothing you might ask me except that I will inform
you of it, as long as | stand here.” The Helpers began to weep copiously,
and the Messenger of Allah repeated again and again: “Ask me!” A man
stood up and said: “What is my fate, O Messenger of Allah?” He said;
“Hell.” ‘Abdullah ibn Hudhafa stood up and said: ‘Who is my father, ©
Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Your father is Hudhafa.”

‘He fh then repeated many times: “Ask me! Ask me!" ‘Umar sank to
his knees and said: “We are pleased with Allah 2s our Lord, and with
Islam as our religion, and with Muhammad g& as our Messenger!” The
int at ‘Lmar's words, and then said: “By the
One in whose hand is my soul, Paradise and Hell were shown to me, in
the place of this wall, as I was praying presently, Never have I seen good
and evil as | have seen them today,”

So we see thar the Messenger of Allah fm gave the Companions
permission to ask about anything thar occurred to them, for as long as
he stood in that place.

"™ AbBukhte’s wording Is used here,

46

His & Perrect ELOQUENCE

un MEssenceR of Allah & was the most eloquent and well-spoken
T of Allah's creatures, He was given comprehensive and concise speech,
sto} g wisdom, stern sebuke, decisive command, solid judgement,
sound advice, profound coun: refurable arguments, conclusive proofs,
and manifest evidences. In this regard, he % said of himself: “I am
Mohammad, the Unlectered Prophet, and there shall be no prophet after
me! [He f repeated this three times] I have been guided to the best ways
af speech, and given its compendium’...

How could he not be the most eloquent of Allah’s creation, when
Allah gave him a way of speaking that expressed so much with such
few words? He once said from the pulpit: ‘O Peopie! I have been given
the compendium of speech and its keys, and for me it has been made
as concise as can be." ‘Umar & once asked him about the secret of his
eloquence, saying: ‘O Prophet of Allah, how can it be that you are the
most eloquent of us, when you never left our sight?" He & replied: “The
tongue of Isma‘ll had vanished," and so Jibril brought it to me and I
retained it™

All were agreed that Muhammad , though unlettered, was given
a miraculously concise mode of speech unrivalled by any teacher or
student, however expert in Arabic they may have been. He possessed the
compendium of speech and the marvels of wisdom, employing clear words,
lucid turns of phrase and immortal expressions which were enlightening

Java’, The expression jevtmt al-balim does not translate essily into English; it means
the skill of putting the most meani the least words; of being both comprehensive and
concise. In order to retain something of the Arabic idiom, it it generally translated here in a
eral way: ‘the compendium of speech: (E]

Ibo Abi Haim.
1 ‘That ls, you never went to live wich any non-Queayshi cribes, fiom whom you could have
learned other dialects or languages (Sharb al-Mawdbi).

1s, eloquence had become exceedingly rare. lemé‘l & is considered the father of the

47

MUMAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

withour bearing the slightest hint of affectation. The great linguist ang
thetorician al-Jjahiz described the Prophet's & speech thus: ‘Allah casp
upon his speech love, and clothed it with acceptance, and made it both
awesome and sweet. It needed no repetition, and the one who heard ie
never needed to decipher it. He spoke nor even a single word idly, nor ever
made 2 slip. No argument of his ever failed; no debater ever triumphed
over him; no orator ever dumbfounded him, He would only silence
debaters by using arguments they could understand and acknowledge
His arguments were drawn solely from truth. Indeed, no one ever heard
words with more universal benefit, truth, justice and balance than his g.*

‘Ali & said: ‘I never heard any rare expression of the Arabs save that |
had already heard the Messenger of Allah & use it. Indeed, I heard him
say mac* bas anfbi® before I heard any other Arab say it.”

His & speech was clear and to the point, with neither excess nor dearth,
so that those who kept his company could memorise his words if they so
wished. ‘A’isha & said: “The Messenger of Allah % would not draw out
his words as you all do; he would speak so clearly and precisely thar those
in his company could memorise it’ It is also reported that she said; ‘He
would speak in such a way thar one would be able to count his words if
he wished to do so."** Anas dy said: "When he said something, he would
repeat it three times."

His {4 Companions would say to him: ‘We have seen no one more eloquent
than you, to which his reply was: ‘Allah did not make me barbarous of
tongue; He chose for me the best of speech: His Book, the Qur'in,

He f& would also praise eloquence and condemn ungrammatical speech;
when alAbbas & asked him What is beaury?, he replied: “The tongue.
Another narration has it that he asked ‘What makes a man beauti
and the Prophet & replicd: ‘The cloquence of his tongue.”" He also
“May Allah have mercy on him who rectifies his tongue!”

Another aspect of his J perfect eloquence was that he would speak to
every tribe with their own regional dialect and idioms, to the point where

© Thistsan Anbidiom meaning to die of natural causes’ Licerally it means ‘to die through
the eone' tha is, rather than through a wound. [i]
@ Al-Bokhari, Mustim.

48

Part One The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

many of his Companions would ask him to explain certain words and
he used. Whoever studies his words and his biography will
Clearly see this; the way he spoke to Quraysh, the Helpers, and the people
of Hijaa and Najd in general was not the samme as the way he spoke to the
thieftains of Hadramaut and the kings of Yemen, The letter he # sent 0
Hamdan [of Yemen] was filled with words common to the Yemeni dialect”
‘The same is true of the way he # addressed the [Yemeni] tribe of Nahd,
and the message he & gave W2'l ibn Hajar co convey ro the chieftains
of Hadramaut, giving instructions on how the zakde should be collected.
Each of these was very different from the famous letter he & sent to Anas
{ on the same subject. Because the people in question spoke in this way
and were accustomed to this rhetoric and this style, and used these words
dfien, the Prophet # used the same style to explain the Revelation to
them; he g& spoke to the people in a way chey could understand.

"Another example of this is how he & said co ‘Atiyya al-Sa'di:
higher hand is the one that gives (al-mintiya), and the lower hand is the
‘one that takes (al-munsd),™ co which ‘Utiyya replied, ‘The Messenger of
Allah spoke to us in our own language!" There was also the man of the
tribe whom the Prophet & addressed in his dialect, saying to him
sal ‘anka, ‘ask of yourself, an idiom peculiar to the Amiri dialect meaning
‘aske whatever you wish t0 ask’,

expression:

Ler us return to his & usual way of speaking, his renowned eloquence,
the comprehensiveness and conciseness of his words, and the aphorisms
related from him. Many volumes have been written on these words
and their meanings; and some of them are utterly unparalleled in cheir
eloquence. In the hope of attaining blessing from his & words, we shall

list a few of them hei

Sheikh Muhammed ibn ‘Alawi reproduces the leccer here; it is filled with lexical items
which were unknown (0 the Arabs of Hijaz at thar time und would likely baifle most Arabs
suffices ro say that virtually every single noun in the passage is either foreign to
leet or used in a way unknown to Quray
™ The Quraysh woutd say mu‘yfja and mu‘td; the eribe of Said would replace the Arabic leccer

9

MUHAMMAD g& THE PERFECT MAN

‘Actions are defined by intentions.’ (Al-Bukhiri, Muslim)

"The doer galns ao more from his deed than that which he intends
thereby. The believer's intention is better than his deed. (Al-Tabarani)

‘Knights of Allah, ride forth!’ (Aba Dawid)
‘All quarry is found in the belly of the wild donkey.” (Al-Ramahramzi)
“War is deception.’ (AFBukhari, Muslim)

‘Beware of green dung: a beautiful woman with an evil background?
(Al Ramahramz’)

“The wrongdoer only wrongs himself? (Ahmad, Ibn Majah)

‘The mighty one is not he who defeats others, but he who defeats
himself. (Ibn Hibban)

“The mighty one is not he who wrestles, but he who recains his self.
control when angry. (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

"To be told is not like to see for oneself’ (Ahmad)

“Gatherings are bonds of crust." (Aba Dawad)

“Tribulation is called forth by the words [people speak.” (Al-Bayhaqi,
Ibn Abi Shayba)

<l-Massihrb al-Ladwniyya in the section on the Prophet's & eloquence. {t]

1? ‘This means thar because of how much meat there is on a wild donkey, catching one is like
catching all the quarry one could wish to hunt.

"This cither means thar a host of a gathering must make sure he is trustworthy, or that
those who attend gatherings must nor divulge the sectete of others they may discover therein
(Ayn al-Ma'bad),

That is, ‘Be careful whar you wish for, and be careful what you predict, for your words
‘may cause you problemas laret on”

50

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

‘Abseaining from evil is an act of charity.’ (Al-Bukhari!™)
‘What disease is deadlier than miserliness”’ (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
“Gven goats would not dispute it.’ (Ibn ‘Uday, Ibn Sa‘d)
‘Shyness begets naught bur goodness.’ (AJ-Bukhari, Muslim)
‘False oaths turn households into wastelands,’ (Al-Daylami)

‘He who serves the people leads the people.’ (Al-Sulami, al-Kharib,
‘Aba Nu‘aym)

“The vircuc of knowledge is greater than the virtue of devotional acts.’
(Al-Tabarani)
‘Blessed be the manes of horses! (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

[Another narration has it: ‘Horses have blessing fastened to their

manes.]

‘Of all good deeds, the quickest rewarded are kindness and the keeping
of family ries; and of all evil deeds, the quickest to be punished are
injustice and the cutting of family ties.’ (Ibn Majah)

‘Some shetoric is sorcery; some knowledge is ignorance; and some
poetry is wisdom,’ (Aba Dawii

1 The exact wording of al-Bukhari is: ‘Abstain from doing evil to people, for it is an act of
charity which you give to yourself’ The wording above 1s quoted in al-Mauedbib without a chain
of transmission.

1 Literally, ‘no two goats would burt one another 0%
‘This was adopted by the Ar
his translation is based on al-Zurqani of the hadith, which
«ould also be rendered: ‘He who leads the people serves the people’ Literal translation: “The
people's leader 1s their servant’ (sayyid al-qawm khddion*bum). Al-Zueqini ascerts that there is an
inversion here, and chat the meaning is; “The servant of the people is, as it were, their Jeader.”
iC)

"8 “Mane’ here symbolises the whole horse in its noblest aspect; thus an adequate paraphrase
of the hadith might be: “The noble horse is a source of great blessing” {t]

said of something which is certain

St

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN
“Two blessings which many people fritter away: health and free time?
(AL-Bukhari)
“Deception and treachery are in hell’ (AF-Bayhagi, al-Bazzar)
“To be asked for counsel is to be bound by 2 trust.” (Ahmad)
“Regret is repentance’ (Al-Tabarini, Ahmad)

“To direct another towards the good is akin to doing it.’ (Al“Askari,
al-Tabarani)

‘Love makes you blind and deaf” (Ahmad, Aba Dawud)

"Borrowed items must be given back, and borrowed livestock must be

returned, and debts must be repaid; and the guarantor is liable,’ (Ahmad,
al-Tirmidhi)

“Ulieisha beat you to it!" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

“The best of possessions is a lowing spring owned by a sleeping eye?»

(This means that the best possession is that which continues to give

Another hadith explains this: ‘If one of you asks his brother for counsel, he must advise
as best he can; for if he docs not, he betrays Jbn Majah)

The word manda here means exrher livestock such 16 goats or cows which are leat to
another for their milk, but must then be returned, or else land which is lene for sowing, (The
borcower may keep the milk the animal gives him, and the crope the land givet him, but he
‘does not actually own the animal or the land, and must give them back when their owner asks
for them.)

\4 Thuis was said co a man who asked if he was as virruous as another named “Ukkash.
the Propher & had said, would be one of the seventy thousand who will enter Paradise wathout
having to face the Judgement. It has become an Arabic sdiom: If one person beats another (0
something, the Arabs will say to the loser: “Ukkisha beat you to
"7 The Arabic word ‘ayn means both ‘spring’ and ‘eye, which gives this phrase a very pleasant
ring which is impossible t render in English: ‘ayn sibira ayn" nina. The word sthira lso
means “awake! wl 'a waking eye for a sleeping ey
another possible lIteral translation. This hadith is given in al-Mawabib without mention of any
‘narrator or chain of transmission. [t]

52

part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

benefit like a flowing spring which continues to flow even when its owner
is asleep, bringing reward night and day.)

“The best 2 man can own is a productive mare and an avenue of date-
alms." (Ahmad, al-Tabarani)

‘Ifa man's deeds slow him down, his lineage will not speed him up.”
(Muslim)

‘Visit often - your love will grow’ (Al-Bazzir, al-Bayhaqi)

"You will never be able to share your wealth with everyone; instead,
share your virtue with everyone.’ (Abii Ya'la, al-Bazzac)

“This religion is firm; so enter inco its depths gently.’ (Ahmad, al-Bazzar)

(The narration of al-Bazzar adds: ‘For the isolated man traverses no
land, nor preserves his mount. This draws a metaphor from the one
who is cut off from his travelling companions and tries to catch them
up by spurring his mount and forcing it to go faster than it can, thereby
wearing it out. In the end, he neither makes progress on his journey, nor
spares the strength of his mount to bear him any further.)

‘Religion is ease; those who cry to make religion hard are always defeated
by ic! (AHBukhaci)

“The wise one is he who judges himself and works for what comes after
death; che fool is he who follows his soul's lusts, yet hopes for all kinds of
things from his Lord.’ (Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim)

‘If something makes your heart uncasy, leave it.’ (AlFabarini)

(That is, if something makes you hesitant, then abstain from it, and do
not listen to demonic whispers [wasazrs))

ma'bara, {t]

here is pleasant chyrme (uj) to the words in Arabic: mabra ma'miira, wa ska

53

MUHAMMAD §& THE PERFECT MAN

‘A woman may be married for her beauty, her wealth, her religion o-

her lineage; choose the religious one, may your hand be covered in dust

[if you do orherwise}!" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

‘Winter is spring for the believer: its days are ehort, that he might fast
them; and its nights are long, chat he might pass them in prayer’ (Al.

Bayhagi, al“Askari)

‘Contentment is wealth which never runs out, and a treasure which
never fades.’ (Al-Tabarani”)

‘He who defers to Allah's guidance is never disappointed; he who
seeks the counsel of others never regrets; he who is moderate never

becomes destitute.’ (Al-Tabarani}

‘Moderation in spending is half of all livelihood; treating people nicely
is hall of all wisdom; asking the right questions ts half of all knowledge.
(Al-Bayhagi, al~Askaei)

ence like forethought, no scruputousness
restraint, and 0 quality like good manners: (Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hilbbin)

[PResteaint’ here means to refrain ftom causing harm, or co restrain
one's tongue}

“The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are
safe; and rhe migrant is he who leaves aside all that Allah forbids.’ (Al-

Bukhari, Muslim)

dependents.” (Al-Daylami)

% The Shesk punts ous here chut there ts some debate as ro che avahenticity of this hadith,

“Thar i, to have tow chiklren ia 4 hlewsieg for those who would be too poor to ralse many,
the cher ul the ‘two conyenlences [a yeudraym) isto be wealthy and thave many childeen (see

54

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exaleed Qualities

‘He who cannot be trusted hag no faith; he who has no covenant has no
religion’ (Abmad, al-Bayhaq’)

"Honouring covenants is part of faith.’ (Al-Hakim)

“The beauty of a man is in the sloquence of his tongue.’ {Al-Qadai,
al‘Askari)

“Two rapacious ones who are never satiated: the seeker of knowledge,
and the secker of worldly delights’ (Al-Tabarani, al-Bayhaqi)

“There is no poverty worse than ignorance; no wealth finer chan
wisdom; and no loneliness worse than self-admiration.”® (Iba Majah)

‘Sins will not be forgotten, kindnesses will never fade, and the Judge
wit! never dic; be, then, as you will.’ (Al-Daylami)

‘There is no more beautiful combination than that of forbearance and
knowledge.’ (AAskari)

“Seek provision in the depths of the earth’ (Aba Sharih, al-Tabarani,
al-Bayhaqi)

‘Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer, and count
yourself among those who are in their graves’ (AL-Bukhari, al-Tirmidhi,

al-Bayhaqi)

‘Righteous deeds guard against evil fates; secret charity appeases the
wrath of the Lord; and keeping family ties increases life. (AI-Tabaréni)

‘Forgiving others increases one's dignity; humility increases one’s rank;
and giving charity never decreases one’s wealth.’ (Muslim and ochers,
with minor variations)

Soar «-Mawabib).
'4 This ts because sell-xdmiration leads one to despise achers, and chus to be unable 10 form
relationships with them, (Sharb al-Mewdt)

55

MUHANMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

%

“There are countless other narrations which show us how he & spoke,
addressed others, gave speeches, prayed and made covenants; they all show,
without any doubt how his & status in this regard was incomparable and
unsurpassed.

His & Perrect KNow.epce or

Wor oy AFFAIRS
(Planning and organising matters of residence, trade, and so on)

Te Propwet J would concern himself with the planning and
directing of the construction of houses and residential areas, and
he & knew much about the proper way to go about this and organise it
according to sound principles that preserved the rights of the thoroughfare
and those who used it, the rights of neighbours, and the rights of the
mosque, and also took into account the necessary sanitary considerations.
The Prophet # would state whether a certain place was appropriate for
a certain building or not: residential areas had their place in his $ plan,
as did baths and marketplaces. And he % would carry out these plans
himself, and provide the necessary guidance

Ibn Sa‘d narrates in his Tzbegar thac after the Prophet # had allocated
the houses in Medina, ™ he designed the house of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan &.""
Once while out walking, he $ came to a spot and said, ‘This would be
a fine place for a bathhouse’, soa bathhouse was built there. This shows
his & knowledge of architecture, building and ventilation.*

Abu Diwiid narrated in his Sunan that the Prophet #& sent a message to
his troops saying: “Whosoever over-occupies an encampment," or blocks
a thoroughfare, is not a tru muyibid’ This is because the people had
been over-occupying encampments and blocking thoroughfares. This
shows how he J loved order even when it came to temporary campsites —
how much more, then, must he have loved it for permanent settlements
and buildings.

He #& would also command that buildings be constructed according

That is, specified which Emigrant, would be housed by which Helpers.
48 The house later passed on to the Ma mar family line, It was demolished when the mosque
of the Prophet & was extended in
raratib al-Edariyya, vo. |, p. 242.
takes up too much space in the m
nced.

itary cacampment so that the other warrlors

37

MUHAMMAD dA THE PERFECT MAN

to sound principles. For example, when someone asked him § about the
1s of the neighbour, he said: ‘Do not make your building higher than
his so that it prevents the wind from reaching it; and do not torment hime
with the aroma of your cooking-pot unless you are prepared to give him
a share of it” Another narration has it: “And do not prevent the wind
from reaching him unless he gives you permission."

The Prophet & also designated 2 place for the market and directed its
construction, and personally came to inspect it. Before this, he had gone
to the old markeiplace and said, "This is no kind of market you have
here!" When he saw the new market, it pleased him and he stamped his
foot and said, ‘What a wonderful market you have! Do not let it fail
praising it and encouraging them to keep it busy.*

Another aspect of his # concern for the affairs of the marketplace is
that he would inspect it and ask about how things were going, and ask
to hear the latest news, paying complete attention to all this. When he
found ou that they were buying food directly from the caravans,"" he
sent a messenger to forbid them from doing so under pain of punishment.
Al-Bukhari narrates in his Sabib chat Ibn ‘Umar & said: ‘They used to
buy food from the caravans daring the time of the Messenger of Allah
4, so he sent someone to forbid them from selling it where chey bought
ig, {directing them not ro sell ic] uncil they had broughe it co the place
where food was usually sold He & also forbade them from going out 10
meet the caravans early, as is reported in the Sabib; and he forbade thac a
town-dweller sell on behalf of a desert-dwel

He & would go out to the markerplace himself to see what was going
on there; a hadith states that he # passed by a food seller, pur his hand
into the pile and felt some wetness there. ‘What is this, food-sel
asked. The man replied, ‘Rain fell on it, O Messenger of Allah. ‘Why,
then’, he said, ‘did you not put it on the cop of the pile so that the people
could see it? He who cheats us is not one of us’ After the conquest of
Mecca, he & appointed Said ibn Sa‘id ibn al-As inspector of the market

AbBayhagh

1 Tn ‘Adi

"© Tho Mijab, al-Tabarini.

14 Thar is, before they reached market.
WL, thae he act as a broker for hi
“8 Muslim, al-Tirmidhi,

58

part One? The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

in Mecea, and Hey me of the market in Medina.

nother aspect of his concern for the " F
ea at ene deel og A the mela
and vireuous. Abi Hurayra & said: “The market had an offical ey gher
whose task it was to weigh things. The Prophet # once said to ia
“Weighs and add more."“"That i, weigh che dates and keep adding ran
mil the scale tips over. 6

He & was also keen thar the market always be amply stocked with
wares so that they would be readily available and noc get too expensive
In light of this principle, he 4 would say: The one whe trades feel il
gain provision; the one who hoards will be cursed. He f would also
warn: people about those craftsmen whom he knew to be duplicitous and
dishonest, saying: ‘The falsest people are dycrs and jewellers.»

He @ would encourage people to go out to the marker to buy, sell,
and trade, and to engage in work and craft. When a man came to him
complaining of poverty, he & encouraged him to gather firewood, saying:
Goto [such-and-such] valley, and gather up every single twig and branch,
and do not come back ro me until ten days have passed encouraging him
ro gather firewood for a living.™* Another time, Sad ibn ‘Ridh came to
him j& and complained of his meagre means, so he told him to go and
engage in trade, He went out to the market and bought some acacia pods
and sold them at a profit. He told the Prophet of this, and he told him
to carry on in that way, and so he made it his trade." When he J saw
young lads selling wares in che marketplace, he would pray for blessings
for them, express his happiness with them, and encourage them, He
fe once passed by ‘Abdallah ibn Jafar selling wares along with some
other boys, and said: ‘Allah, give him blessing in his trade!" Another
narration, on the authority of alNAmiri, begins: ‘We were boys working
in the marker...

as aya, vol. 3, p. 354.

Ahmad.
™ Ton Mah,

7 Alpmad, tbo Mayah, al-Bayhagi. Abu ‘Ubayd 2I-CQistm ihn Salim snverpreted this hadith
symbolically, saying chat “dyers’ are chese who embellish theis speech, and ‘jewellers’ are those

I-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kxbré).

vebo oucright (falsify
ALTirmidhi
See al-Fuiba, He thereafter became known as Said al-gare, ‘Sid the acacia man’,
Abtyeba.

Aba Dawid.

59

MUHAMMAD f& THB PERFECT MAN

Another aspect of his a concern for the affairs of the marketplace ig
how he named those who hought and sold therein tujidr when before
they had been called samasira."* Ibn Majah narrates that Qays ibm Abi
Gharaza said: We used to he called samdsira 2t the time of the Messenger
of Allah (; and one day, the Messenger of Allah & passed us by and pave
us a better name. He said: “O syjar! Trade often involves oath-making
and vain talk, so expiate this by giving charity.” The narration of al-
Tabarani adds: ‘He was the first one to call us cujidr’ Al-Tirmidhi also
narrates this hadith in the chapter enticled: "Tijiér, and how the Prophet
fa gave them this name.

The word rajir (the singular of tujjar) is more noble than simsar (the
singular of samasira) according, to common custom; perhaps the reason
for this ig that samdsira is also used to mean ‘tax collectors’; or perhaps
the word had a negarive connotation at the time of the Prophet

%&

Another aspect of his & perfect knowledge of worldly matters was his
knowledge of sewing. Our lady Nisha & said: ‘He & would do household
chores, and would often sew.’

Another aspect of his & perfect knowledge of worldly matters was how
he instructed a man whose nose had been severed to get himself golden
nose to replace it. Abu Dawid narrates in his Sunan that ‘Arfaja ibn Sa‘d’s
nose was cut off at the Battle of al-Kulab, so he made a false nose from
silver, but it developed a foul stench. The Prophet & therefore instructed
him to have a false nose made from gold. Al-Tirmidhi remarks in his
Sunan: ‘It is related that more than one scholar used gold fillings in their
teeth, having learned from the Propher’s @ instruction here that gold
does not develop a foul stench [when used in this way].

‘When the Propher & announced that Mecca was an jolable space
wherein no tree or plant may be cut, aHAbbas & said: ‘What about the

Both these words mean ‘merchants’ or ‘traders, but rujiar is more dignified in Arabre,
samésira has the connotation of ‘middleman’, suggesting & kind of servicude Al-Khat1abi
suggested that the word samdura was 4 forcign word, given to che merchants because in times
past che role had often heen fulfilled by non-Arabs; rujidr, on the other hand, was a pure Arabic
word (Fiishivat alSindi). See also the author's explanation below.

5) Ibn Said

14 See Sunan al-Tirmides and al-tsabe.

’ part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualisies

sweet rushes (al-idbkbin}, for our jewellers and for roofing our houses?” He
ip replied: ‘Al eacept the sweet cushes, and permitted them to be ¢

Ihe & ever saw that a man had an aptitude for a certain craft, he would
encourage him to do it until he became highly skilled at it. An example
of this: he # once saw Talq ibn ‘Alr al-Hfanafi joining in the building
of the Holy Mosque in Medina, and noticed that he was adept at working
day, so he assigned him this task and said: ‘Send the clay his way, for
he knows how co work it! Talq 3 himself later told this story, saying:
‘{came to the Prophet @ in Medina whilst he was building his mosque,
the Muslims working alongside him. I had experience in preparing, and
mixing «lay, $0 1 100k the spade and mixed the clay. The Messenger
of Allah & looked on, and said: “This Hanafite is skilled with clay?”
‘Another narration has it that he J said: ‘He is the most skilled of you
clay.
inally, Imam Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah f& stood
before a grave and saw a crack in one of the bricks, and so commanded
thar it be mended, saying: ‘Allah loves that, when His servant does
something, he does it well."

‘ Al-Bukhari,

‘The author names the Companion in question as Qays ibm Tel; in fact it was Talg, and
his sos Quys was the one who related the story from bur. (t

1 Aleludba, Tabagat Ibn Sa‘

"the Rushd, al-Bapan wal-Tabgil

él

His & Perrect ORATORY

in PRopner’s oratory was a perfect model which all those who
T aieiten righteousness should emufare, basing their own speech
on its principles and approaches, that they be better able to win others
over with their words.

He f& would always be carefu! to make sure thar his counsel could be
heard by his audience, word for word and letter for letter. He would give
his sermons standing, with a raised voice, and speak from a high place;
and in Medina, he had a pulpit set up in his mosque for this purpose, He
would also be eager that his words touched the souls of those who heard
them, and would employ familiar, carefully chosen words, and convey
clear concepts with beautiful language. He would often repeat a sentence
three times to show its importance, lest it pass by the ears of the listeners
without penetrating their souls.

He & would not employ rhymed prose (saj') in his speeches, but
would speak with natural prose, unless a rhyming expression happened to
suggest itself naturally; for when rhymed prose is employed in a constant
and deliberate way, it results in artifice and in a surrendering of substance
to style. He & would not make his sermons long, lest people become
uncomfortable and bored and thus fail to benefit From che counsel as they
would if they were listening alertly, He would say, ‘When a man lengthens
his prayer and shortens his sermon, he shows his deep understanding’
Although short, his sermons were endowed with wisdom and good
counsel, filled with concise words and phrases which have since become
famous proverbs and paragons of brevity and eloquence. Sometimes he
would make the Friday sermon long if this were required; once he
began a sermon after the afternoon prayer, and was still speaking when
the sun ser.

He & would begin his sermons by praising and lauding Allah, and then
follow this wich the testimony of faith. He would then say ammd ba'd'

As was the custom of the Arabs,
Muslim,
‘An Arabic expression with no English equivalent, used co separate the formulaic

62

Part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

and turn to the subject of the sermon, whether related to wisdom or to
counsel. During the course of the sermon, he might digress from the
general theme in order to address a particular person in the audience, if
a vical instruction needed to be given to him: a man once arrived as che
Prophet # was giving the Friday sermon. The Prophet # said to him:
‘Pave you prayed?” He said no, so the Prophet & instructed him to stand
and pray, and then carried on with the sermon.

He 4 would sometimes give emphasis to a point by gesturing with his
hand as was appropriate: in one of his sermons, he said: ‘I was sent forth
whilse the Hour and I are [as close] as these two, putting his first and
middle fingers together.” Ie is aiso related that he $% would point with
his first finger when speaking of Allah and beseeching Him. The signs
of warning and wrath might show on him as he spoke, if the occasion
and the words called for it; sometumes when he spoke his eyes would
redden and he would become sorely wrathful, as though he were giving
a warning £0 an army.

He would look to the condition of the people when he gave sermons,
and tailor his words for it: if they were remiss in a certain area of
righteousness, he would enjoin it, and if they were straying towards 2
certain sin, he would warn against it.

intraduction of a speech from its given content. Literally it means: ‘As for what follows
“@ Al Bukhari, Muslim.
al Al-Bukhari, Muslim.

63

Tue PerFecT WIsDoM oF His & Way
oF CaLLING To ISLAM

Te PREACHING cannot have firm roots and long branches, nor
bear any fruit, unless it is based on sound arguments, and unless the
preacher acts with wisdom and beautiful conduct.

‘This was the way of his & call co Islam it was presented in a way which
inspired minds co accept it willingly and souls ro hear it gladly. He
would endeavour to convey it in ways most likely to succeed, finding the
right words for the right occasions and dressing each concept in the right
garb. He would address different people in che way most suited to their
minds, and treat them in the way most likely to win their acceptance and
have the quickest success in guiding them away from their error,

He would call others to the truth, and follow this call with convincing
arguments and the Holy Qur'an. For every principle of the re
gave clear proofs and dispelled all doubrs. He #& supported his call with
arguments, and countered any doubts which people may have had.

One aspect of his & call was the way he sent messages of wisdom; and
the manifold beautiful wisdom of the Holy Book and the Noble Hadith
show those who examine them that the call of Islam is ‘..a conclusive
word, and no pleasantry’ {86:13-14]. One aspect of his wisdom is that he
would aid the spread of the call by the gifts of wealth he gave co
the chieftains of tribes; for gifts dispel grudges and turn estrangement
into accord. The purpose of these gifts was that they inspired hearts to
consider the truth of the call objectively. He #& would also do this when
he saw that their faith was not completely firm and impervious to trials,

He && said about such people: ‘T might give to one man though another
is more beloved to me, because I fear that [otherwise] Allah might send
him to Hell.’

Another aspect of his §& way of calling was that he would go about it with
patience, delicacy, and forbearance, He would present it with gentle words,
responding to those who treated him ignorantly by leaving them be, and

M4 AbBukhéri, Muslim,

part One: The Perfection of His Sublime Gifts and Exalted Qualities

responding to those who wronged him by pardoning them and being kind
co them. Much abuse was levelled at him J& by the pagans and dolts of
Quraysh, yet he endured this patiently, and! did nor allow it to detract from
his resolve to continue the call in the slightest. Many a fou} word was cast
his way by certain of the hypocrites and the boorish Bedouins, and he met
them with forgiveness, smiles and graces. When he & did give correction
and rebuke for inappropriate behaviour, he would do so in a subtle way, not
addressing tbe guilry person directly, bur speaking generally, thus: ‘What
is wrong with people, that they disdain to do something I do? By Allah, 1
know Allah and fear Him more than any of you.

Another aspect of his $ wise manner of calling to Islam was that he
would not sinoply pile up advice on people, but would offer them counsel
when they needed it or when they were eager to hear it. ‘Abdallah ibn
Masiid & said: "The Prophet 4 would choose the best moments co
counsel us, [not doing so constantly] for he hated to make us weary.

In the letters he & sent o kings and tribes, he would be concise, leaving
ir to the envoy who delivered the letter to explain the message and its
arguments io detail, and to dispel any doubrs that might be raised by the
recipient; and he would choose as envoys chase who were up to this task.
‘The lecter he & sent ‘Amr ibn al“As & to deliver to the people of Najrin,
Yemen, said:

| call you to worship Allah instead of worshipping His slaves, and 1
call you to ally yourselves with Allah instead of with His slaves, If you
decline, then [1 will accept] the jizya'; if you decline, then I shall declare
war upon you. Peace.

‘An aspect of his & brilliant way of answering questions was that he
would give the answer in the form ofa general principle, rather than simply
saying yes or no. There was a man of the Muhirib tribe who abused the
Messenger of Allah $ when he went to calf the tribes to Islam. Some time
fater, this man came t0 Medina as part of a delegation from Muharib,
having converted to Istam in che meantime, He reminded the Messenger of
Allah & of how he had abused him, and said: ‘Pray that J be forgiven’ He
% ALBukhari
“4 Al-Bukhari, Muslim.

“The poll tax puid by non-Muslims in a Muslim state to pay for the upkeep of the armies
which protect them, and for exemption from military service. [}

65

MUHAMMAD §& THE PERPECT MAN

{A said to him: Islam makes amends for the unbelief that came before it?s

‘Another aspect of his method of calling to Islam was his bi
of similiude and parable, which each are very effective ways of making
obscure and unfamiliar concepts seem familiar. One of the finest examples
of this we have heard is his # saying: ‘The believers, in their mutual lave,
mercy and affection, are like a body: if one part of it ails, the rest of the
body responds to it with restlessness and fever."

A further aspect of his 4 strategy in calling co Islam was how he
would speak to different people in a way they could understand, and took
is not ro speak ro anyone in a way his mind could not understand; he
guided us to do the same when he said: ‘Speak to people in a way they can
understand: do you want Allah and His Messenger to be belied?"

Sometimes he 4& would do something just to accommodate those who
expected it to be done, as long as they were simple matters of custom,
and not harmful in any way. He & once wanted to send Jetters to certain
kings inviting them to Islam, when it was said to him: “They only accepr
letters which are sealed,” Upon hearing this, he had a silver seal” made,
engraved with the words Mubammad, the Mestenger of Allab:

He J would also abstain from certain things in order to avoid strife,
as long as there was no harm in abstaining from them, He abstained
from demolishing the Ka'ba and reb
foundations laid by Ibrahim J, so as not to cause strife for those new
Muslims who had not long been free of paganism. He # said to ‘Aisha :
“Were it not that your people are newly shed of paganism, T would order
thar the House" be demolished, return to it what was taken from it, and
use it to enlarge the foundations of Ibrahim.’

1 Ibn Si'd, Ahmad, al-Tuberda
'@ ALBukhir

"%Al-Daylami narrates it as a saying of the Prophet & ina
narrates i¢ as a saying of Imam ‘Ali wich the wording used above.

1 Rhaiam, that ix, a ring with « scal on it, as was che custom. [t}
al Bukbari, Muslim,

Meaning the Ka’ba.

(™ Al-Bukhiri, al-Nasi’,

ly different form; al-Bukhari

66

Part Two

How ALLAw Gave Him 4 Perrect
PROTECTION FROM ALL FLAWs, AND
GuaRDED HIM FROM Enemies, Demons
AND SINS

‘Allah shall protect you from men.’ [5:67]

Sea

Axuan’s PERFECT
Protection oF HIM &”

LLAH Says: ‘Allab shall protect you from men’ [5:67], and: (Wait
A patiently for the fulfilment of your Lord's decree, for verily you are
in Our sight) [52:48], and: ‘Wall Allab noe suffice His servant? [39:36] ~ ig j
said thar this means He will suffice Muhammad 4 against his idolatrous
enemies, and there have been other interpretations besides this.

He also says: ‘Suficient ure We unto yow against those who mock’ (15:93)
and: ‘Remember how the unbelievers plotted against you, to keep you in bonds,
cr slay you, or exile you. They plat and plan, and Allab too plans; but the beit
of planners is Allab’ [8:30).

isha & said: ‘The Prophet # used to be guarded [by sentries}, uncil
the verse was revealed: “Allah shall protect you from men” [5:67]. Upon this,
he put his head chrough the opening in the cent and said to them, “Be
gone, for my Lord ga has protected me!"

It is related chat when the Prophet & would rest in the middle of a
journey. his Companions would choose a tree for him to nap under. Once
while he was napping, a Bedouin man came along and unsheathed his
sword, saying: ‘Who now shall protect you from me?” The Prophet $
said: ‘Allah a»', whereupon the Bedouin’s hand trembled and he dropped
his sword, and then struck his own head against the tree so
he drew blood; this verse was then revealed.'” Ghawratl
the Bedouin in question, related that the Prophet § then forgave
and he went back to his people and said, ‘I have just come to you from
the best of all peopl
the Battle of Badr: the Prophet $ is said to have separated from his
‘Companions to answer a cal] of nature, when 2 hypocrite” followed him,

and events unfolded in the same way.

1% ‘This chapter closely follows che Sbifit of Qadi ‘Iyid, Volume |, Part I, Chapter Four,
section fi tgmat Ibi faby..
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi
(7 Narrated by al-Bukhart, Musi
own head aguinsr the ceee

'% Mundfiq, dissembler: one who pretends to be Muslim in order to infiltrate the Muslims
and cause them harm from within. [t]

a slightly different wording,
and others without mention of the Bedouin striking his

Ic is aso related chat the same thing happened a che Battle of Ghatafan
ac Dh Amrtoa man named Da'thir ibn al-Harith™. He embraced Laken
and chen went back to his people, who had charged him with the task of
assassinating the Prophet to begin with. The leader and most valiant
of them said to him: ‘Why didn’t you do what you sad you woul, when
you had he chance? He ceplicd: saw tall white man, who pushed my
chest. I fell to the ground and dropped my sword, I realised that he was
an angel, and so I entered Islam.’ Its said that it was about this thar the
verse was cevealed: ‘O you vho belive! Remember the fiveur of diab nse
you when certain men desired to stretch out their hands against you...’ [5:11]

"AL-Khattabis narration has it that Ghavcath ibn al Hirth al: Au
vanted co ambush the Prophets, who did not sense his presence until he
ars standing over him with his sword drawn, He said: "O Allah, suffice
me in whetever way You will?” Upon this, Ghawrath bent double and
dropped his sword. This story has also been told in other ways, and iis
suid thet it was about chis thatthe verse was revealed: ‘O you ‘oo hehve!
Remember tbe favour of Allab unto you when certain men desired vo sneak
out ther Bands against you. (5:11. Ics also said that the Messenger of
Allah & used to be wary of Quraysh, buc when chis verse was revealed he
relaxed and said, ‘Whosoever wil n forsake met

‘Abd ibn Humayd related that the Wood-Carrier™ used to. lay
smouldering thorns in the path of the Messenger of Allah &, and he
would pass over it as though it were fine sand. Ibn Ishaq releced that
when she heard about the revelation of ‘Pris she band: of tbu Labah,.’
{u1tl] and how Allah debased her and her husband therein, she went co
find the Messenger of Allah & as he sat in the mosque with Abu Bake,
4 stone pestle in her hand, When she came to them, she saw only AbO
Bakr, and Allth veiled the Prophet & from her sight, ‘Abi Bakr, she said,
‘where is your companion? I hear thar he has been lampooning me; and
ty Allzh, had I found him I would have shattered his mouth with this
pestle!’ The Hamztyya™ says of this:

*

likely chat Da'chir here and Ghawrath in the aforementioned narration are the same
person. See al-Shamani's Musil al-Kha/d and al‘Asqalini’s at-lsaba.
"A derogatory name for the wife of Abu Lahab; see Qur'ia 11
“Of lmam al-Busici,

69

MUHAMMAD M& THE PERFECT MAN

‘The Wood-Carrier took her pestle
And came forth, swift as a hawk
On the day of her wrath: ‘Whar,
Is one such as me to be mocked?”
She came, yer saw him now;

For can a blind eye see the sun?

AlHakam ibn Abi alAs said: We agreed that we would assassinate
the Prophet &, yet when we saw him we heard such a clamour behind
us as made us think that no one in Tihama™ could have survived, We
fell down and covered ourselves, and did nat rise uncil he had finished
praying and returned to his people. We then agreed to do it another
night, yet when we had him in our sights, che mountains of Safa and
Marwa came and barred our way co him.”

“Cimar g& said: ‘Aba Jahm ibn Hudhayfa and I agreed on a night to kill
the Messenger of Allah #&. We went co his house and heard him begin
to recite “The Realiry! What is the Reality?” {69:1-2] until he reached “Do
‘you see, then, any remnant of them?” [09:8].’ Aba Jahmn then struck ‘Umars
‘& upper arm and said, ‘Flee!’ and they fled. This was the beginning of
‘Umar’s journey to Islam

‘There is also the famous story, which is sufficient to stand for all, of the
time when Quraysh threatened him and lay in wait to kill him outside
his house, yet he went out in che midst of therm and stood right before
them, Allah having hidden him from their sight, and threw dust over
their heads and then evaded them. He was also hidden from their sight
in the cave because of the wonders Allah worked for him, and the spider
that spun its web over the entrance to the cave so that Umayya iba Khalaf
said, when the others wanted to go into the cave: ‘He cannot be ia there
when there are so many spider-webs covering the entrance that they must
have been here before Muhammad was born!’ And two doves sat at the
entrance to the cave, so that the Qurayshis said, “Were anyone in there,
these doves would not have sat there’

There is also the story of Suraqa ibn Malik iba Ju'sham. After the
Emigration, Quraysh had put a bounty on the Prophet #& and on Abi
Bakr %, and Ju'sham found our which way they had gone. He mounted

12 Meaning here Mecca. {t]

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him §& Perfect Protection

his horse and followed chem, and as he approached them the Prophet &
made a prayer against him, and his horse's feet stuck fast to the ground,
and he was thrown from it. He consulted his divining arrows," which
him an answer he did nor like." He mounted his horse again and

ched until he could hear the sound of the Propher # reciting,
goying him no heed. Abia Bakr did pay him heed, however, saying 10
the Prophet #, “We have been caught!’ The Prophet & said, ‘Fear not,
‘Allah is with us.’ Ju'sham’s horse stopped in its tracks once again and
threw him. He yelled at it, and it got up and bolted, kicking up a trail of
dust like smoke. He called! out to them for a truce, and che Prophet &
agreed 10 write him a promise of truce, which Ibn Fuhayra wrote (or
it my have been Aba Bakr). He cold them about what was going on.
"The Prophet & commanded him not to ler anyone else follow them. So
Susaqa went back and told the others that there was no need to look
that way. Ic is also said that Suriqa said to them: ‘I know thar you prayed
against me ~ 50 pray now for me!’ He got away safely, and began to think
that the Prophet & was truly what he said he was.

Al-Basiri says of the miracle of the cave, and the story of Suriiga:

gave

Woe 10 2 people who rejected a propher

Beloved to even the lizards and gazelles of his land.

They forsook him, though a palm-trunk wept for him!”
They hated him, though strangers loved him.

‘They drove him out, and a cave took him in,

And a whice dove gave him her protection,

With its web, a spider gave him

‘The same aid as lid the feathery dove.

He was hidden from them while right before their eyes:
His ascendancy was in the midst of his invisibility.”

The pagans would often carry divining arrows with them to consule whi
aon e 10 cons yen they had ro

im ;
vg. Thatisy they told him vbat his current course of ation would bring him bad luck. [t]
Abi Bakr's servant.

ie us is about the bounty Quraysh had pur oo them, and the others who were hunting,

A refetence to certain miracles of the Propher
The Helpers. : matt

»
A play on the word pubir, which meuns both ‘i

iy! and ‘ascendancy’ o‘rriemph’ ft)

7

MUHAMMAD d& THE PERFECT MAN

The Chosen One headed for Medina,
‘Though every direction from Mecca yearned for him.

The jinn sang, his praises first, until

Mankind, too, exulted in thar song.

Suriga followed his traces in the sand,

Yet his fine steed flung bim co the ground.

‘And he" called out 9 him" after his horse had shamed him;

For oft will a drowning man cry out!

Iba Ishaq and others relate chat AbG Jahl, 2 boulder in his hands,
approached the Messenger of Allah # as he prostrated in prayer, ag
Quraysh looked on, As he made as if to throw ned in hig
hands, and his arms became fixed stiffly all the way up to his neck, He
took a step back, and then asked the Prophet # to pray for him. He did
so, and Aba JahI's arms went back to normal. He had made a pret with
Queaysh and sworn that ifhe saw him, he would smash the boulder down
onto him, When they asked him what happened, he said: “There came
berween me and him a stallion of which T had never scen the like, and
it came towards me as if to devour me!” The Prophet # said: “That was
Jibril; had he come any closer, he would have seized him’

Imam al-Basiri says of this:

People ried to slay bim, but the sword, being faithful,
Refused, and every boulder missed him;

‘Aba Jahl saw the stallion

Coming for him, as though i were a griffon!

‘The exegetes relate another version of this story on the authority of
Abi Hurayra, ay follows"; Abu Jahl promised Quraysh that if he saw
Muhammad praying he would stamp on his neck. When the Messenger
of Allah $ began to pray, they let Aba Jahl know and he set off to him;
bur as he was approaching him, he suddenly turned his heels and fled,
shielding himself with his arms. When he was asked about this, he said:

0 Suriga.

The Prophet

Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi .& follows the order of al-Sbifi here, ancl include
tarrariow much Further on in this chapter. I have moved it hese so that the two versions of the
same sory can be presented side by side. [tl

72

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him Perfect Protectio
1

sas approached him, I saw a moa :
fell-and [saw a great horror, and ae hae bi falas
‘The Messenger of Allah 4 said: “Those were the acne eee
close, they would hare snatched him ava, pice bynes ath
revealed to the Proper i: ‘Nay! But man is rer deen wath then
fs) ati the end of he chaps greerle belies
‘AkSamacqandi related that a man :
to the Prophet & to kill him, and phen me eons
tould nat sce the Prophet, though he heard his voice He rocencd co ire
empanions, and could noc sce them elther, until they calcd trate
said that ie was about him that the verses were revealed: We hen ae
on their necks fetters, up to the chin, so their beads are raised: and Ws ilo
a barrier before them, and a barrier after them; and We base cwered that og
peace) ve covered them, 50
Another case of this is the story related by Tbn Ishig, i
Prophet # went to Bani Qurayza with his Hacks ita en
wal of one of their high buildings. One of them, ‘Amar ibn Jahhash aaa
up to the roof to drop a boulder onto him; but the Prophet & stvad up
and went back to Medina, and told chem what had happened.
cis said chat Allah's words ‘O you whe bese! Remener ibe fou
ilk wide poe then: cer tals raencdested do: miele tet? igh sey i
Sor [Shi] were revealed abour this event, pies
‘Al-Samarqandi relates that the Prophet # went to Bani al-Nadir to
asic them to help in paying the blood indemnity for the two men of Kilib
who had been murdered by ‘Amr ibn Umayya. Huyay ibn Akhtab said to
him, ‘Sit down, Muhammad, so we can feed you and then give you what
you seek.’ The Messenger of Allah % sat with Aba Bakr %& and ‘Umar
alongside him. Yet Huyay was secretly plotting with the others to kill
him, and Jibeil # told the Prophet of this. He got up and made as if
he mere going to answer a call of nature, and then went back to Medina,
leis related that Shayba ibn ‘Uchmaan al-Flajabi saw the Propher eat the
Battie of Hunayn. Now both Shayba's father and uncle had been slain by
Hama &, so when he saw the Prophet he said, "Today I shail settle my
score with Muhammad's kin!” When the two sides met, he approached
the Prophet Ja from behind and raised his sword to strike him. He tater
described what happened next: ‘As { approached him, a Aame of fire rose
up before me, faster than lighting, and I fied from it, The Prophet &

73

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

sensed me there, and called me to him. He placed bi
the man J hated more than any other ~ yet when he lifted it fom meh
had become the man I loved more than any other. “Come and! fight ne
said to me, so went before him and raised my sword, protecting his li
with mine; and had I mt my father at that moment, [would have die)
him before letting him harm him

Fudala ibn ‘Umayr suid: “In che year of the Conquest,” I planned to ki
the Prophet as he circled the Kaba. When I approached him, he said
“0 Fada!” “Yes!” I said. “What is it” he said “that you are thinking
of?” “Nothing,” I said, and he smiled and prayed that I be forgiven, and
chen placed his hund on my chest. My heart became at peace, and by
Allah, by che time he raised it chere was nothing of Allah’s creation more
beloved to me than him, I went back to my family, on the way passing by
a.woman I used to chat with. She asked me co come and talk with he,
bur I said no.’ Fudala then went away, saying: -

She said, ‘Come hither’, but I said: ‘No,
Allah and islam do not allow it.’

Had you seen Muhammad and his folk,

‘At the Conquest, the day the idols were broken,

You would have seen Allah’s religion rise like the sun,
And idolatry's face covered with shadows.

Another farnous example of this is the story of ‘Amir ibn al-Tufayl and
Arbad ibn Qays, when they were sent in a delegation to the Propher
‘Amir had said co Arbad; ‘I will distracc Muhammad’ so that he turns
his face from you~ then, you strike him!" Yer he did not do it, and when
he asked him afterwards what had gone wrong, he said: ‘By Alllah, every
time I wanted to strike him I found you between me and him, What was
I t0 do~ strike you”

Another manifestation of Allah’s protection of him §& was that many
Jews and soothsayers warned of him, and pointed him out to Quraysh,
and told them of how he would come to have power over them, and
encouraged them to kill him [before he became powerfull; yet Allah
protected him [from their plots) until his work was done."

»

-Qir's explanation of this paragraph in his Sharb al Shift

4

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him § Perfece Protection

‘This protection was also manifested in how the Prophet & was
suecoured by dread for a distance of a month's journey,” as the Sahib
tions report. :

within a month's journey of the Prophet J dared to uctack him because
led in their hearts. [tf

15

MUHAMMAD g& THE PERFECT MAN

His & PeRFect

PROTECTION FROM SATAN

Prophet & is protected from Satan and sufficed against him —
bis physical person (against all chat could harm i), nor only
in his mind (against all misgivings that could be suggested to it), but in
every way po:

The Sabib collections tell us that ‘Abdallah ibn Masud & said: “The
Messenger of Allah # said: “There is not one of you, but that there has
been assigned to him a consort of the jinn and a consort of the angels,”
“Even you, © Messenger of Allah”, they said. “Even me,” he said, “save
that Allah aided me against him and he submitted.”

‘A narration on the authority of Mansur adds that he #
enjoins upon me only that which is good.’ ‘A'isha’s & narration of it has,
instead of fa-slama (‘he submitted’), fa-aslamu, meaning ‘so 1 was freed of
him’; some scholars say that this version is the more authentic one. The
version which has fa-aslama (‘he submitted’) means that the demonic
consort changed from a state of unbelief (Aufr) to one of submissio
Gilam), and thenceforth only enjoined what is good, just as angels do;
this is the more obvious meaning of the hadith. Another version has it
{fastalama, which also means ‘he submitted’,

If this was the case with his demonic consort, the like of which was
sent to all human beings, then what of those who were distant from him,
and who were not in his company, and indeed were unable to come near
him? There are reports of how demons were warded off him on many
occasions, when they attempted to come near to him to extinguish his
light, cake his life, or pile distractions upon him, until they despaired of
ever tempting him and went away disappointed. One such case was when
a demon attempted to waylay him as he prayed, yet the Propher $ took
hold of him and capcured him.

The Sabib collections tell us, on the authority of Abt Hurayra &, that
the Prophet fe said: ‘Satan came to me™ and cried his utmost to disturb

OF ‘vad says:"* Know that the Muslim community is agreed that

‘Much of what Follows is drawn from al-Sbifa, Volume 2, Part [11, Chapter One, Section 4
(ao‘tam anna ‘-urima mujmi'a ‘al8 iymat ai-Nabi ..)
"Abd al-Razaiq’s narration adds ‘in che form of aca

16

sme as I prayed. Allah gave me power over him, and I threw him down.
T considered hanging him from a pillar so that you could all look upon
him, but then I remembered what my brother Sulayman said: “Lord,
forgive mes and give me a soverelgnty that shall be given to none aftr me
Verily, You are the Giver’ [38:35]; so Allah sent him away, thwarted.’

‘Aba al-Darda’ & reported thar Allah's cnemy Iblis came to the
Messenger of Allah as he prayed with a tongue of fire, and made as if
to strike him in the face with it. The Prophet % sought Ailah’s refuge
from him and cursed him, and then wanted to catch hold of him to tie
him up, so that the children of Medina could play with him... (the hadich
then follows the narration of Aba Hurayra J above),'*

‘The reports of the Mi'raj also say that a dernon made for the Prophet
fe with a tongue of fire, and so Jibril # taught him the words to say to
seck refuge from ir. This is related in al-Muwatta’

‘When Satan was unable to harm him & directly, he sought to come to
him through his enemies, as was the case when he plotted with Quraysh
to assassinate the Prophet #, appearing to them in the form of an old
man from Najd, and another time (at the Battle of Badr) in the form
of Suraga ibn Malik; Allah alluded to this with His words: ‘And when
Satan made their deeds alluring to them...’ {8:48]. On another occasion, he
appeared and gave warnings about the Prophet & at the occasion of the
‘Aqaba Pledge.

Yet Allah sufficed the Prophet §& against all of this, and protected him
from Satan's harm and his evil intentions.

When, in his f final illness, a draught was administered to him and
they said to him, ‘We feared that you had pleurisy!,** he said: Ir" was
from Satan, and Allah would never give him power over me!

%

w Thave amended the orsginal wording of this report for clarity’s sake. [t]

That Is, Saran possessed Suriga in order to address the unbelievers and exhort them 10
fight.

This ie the translation Lane gives for ddr al-janb, an inflammarory tumour in the
meembcane within the ribs. ft]

=

Le, the medicine they gave him i without his permission (Sberb ai-Qari),

7

MUBAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

Je might be said, ‘What, then, is the meaning of Allahs words “tnd jpg
provocation from Satan sbould provoke you, seek refuge in Allah.” (7.299):

‘The answer is that these words are meant to refer to the Prophet’
& community, and is akin to many occasions in the Qur'an when the
Prophet # is addressed personally with words that apply to his whole
community.

This is also teue of Allah’s words: ‘Never We sens a mesenger or prophe:
before you, save that, when be boped (tamannd), Satan cast into bis hope: buy
Allab annul what Satan casts, and then Allab affirms His signs; and Allah i
Knowing, Wise’ (22:52).

Many scholars have erred in their interpretation ofthis verse, and many
readers have misunderstood it; chey have understood the wosd amanng
to mean ‘recited’, chus inferring that when the messenger or prophet
recited what was revealed to him, Satan meddled with his recitation and
cast therein whatever he wished ro, after which Alfah annulled what
Saran had cast.

To support this interpretation, they cite the story of the ‘holy birds
(al-gharaniq), which says that when the Prophet fj recited sirat al-Najm,
and reached ‘Hast you seen, then, al-Lat and ‘Uzed, and Manat, the third
of them? {53:19-20], he then said: ‘They are the holy birds, and their
intercession is much desired.”

(The word ghardnig is che plural of gharniig, which means a male sea-
bird, and also a white-skinned boy (the birds are called this because of
their whiteness). The idolaters claimed that their idols brought them
nearer to Allah and interceded for them; thus they resembled birds,
carrying their prayers up to the heavens.)

Now when the Prophet & finished reciting the siira, so the story gocs,
the unbelievers prostrated alongside the Muslims, because of how they
had heard their gods praised so.

"The reports of this story stare that Satan cast these words onto the
tongue of the Prophet $, who had been hoping thar something would be
revealed to him that would bring him closer to his people. When Satan
cast these words, the Prophet & was aggrieved, and so Allah consoled
him by saying: ‘Never We sent a messenger or prophet before you, save tat,
when he boped (tamanné), Satan cast into bis hope; but Allab annudls what
Satan casts, and then Allah affirras His signs; and Allab is Knowing, Wise’

481 Various other wordings arc also given here, all meaning essentially che same thing.

B

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him fe Perfect Protection

{p23}, and also saying: Undeed they were near to xeducing you fiom that We
revealed 10 YOu, that you might forge against Us another; and chen they would
surely have taken you as a friend" (17:73),

‘The correct way to understand this verse, however, is the explanation
given by the Imam and great Knower of Allah, Shaykh ‘Abd al‘Aziz al
E ybbagh &, which is as follows:

‘Allah never sent any messenger, nor any prophet, to any community,
save that this messenger hoped that his community would have faith;
ery messenger would love for this to happen, and greatly desire and
yearn for it, and would try his utmost to achieve it, This includes our
Prophet # t whom the Lord xi said: ‘Perchance you wilt consume yourself
with grief, over their footsteps, if they believe mot in xbis riding’ (18:6), and said:
“and mest people, though you may strive, will not believe’ {12:103], and said:
“Wile thou, then, force the people to believe ], as well as many other
verses besides that convey this same meaning. But then the community
differs, as Allah says: ‘But they fell into variance: some of them believed, and
some dibelieved’ [2:253]. Now as for those who disbelieved, Satan cast
slanderous misgivings into the message, which is what caused them ro
disbelieve. Even the believer is not immune to misgivings, because they
are usually present wherever faith in the unseen is involved, although
they afflict people in different degrees, and in accordance with their
‘connections,

If this is acknowledged, then the meaning of tamannd is that {the
prophet or messenger} hopes for faith for his community, and loves for
them ro have goodness, guidance, soundness, and salvation. This is the
hope of every propher and messenger. That Satan ‘casts into ie’ means
that he casts misgivings into the hearts of the community that hear the
message, causing some of them to disbelieve, Allah then has mercy on
the disbelievers and annuls this from their hearts and affirms therein His
signs which point co His Oneness and the truth of His message; and He
# causes it co remain in the hearts of the hypocrites and disbelievers,
who fall prey to it. This implies thar these misgivings are at first cast into
the hearts of both factions, but do not remain with the believers as they
do with the disbelievers.™

9 Abtbris, pp. 215-216.

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

This explains to us what this holy verse means; and as for the story of
the ‘holy birds’, it is utterly false, both textually and rationally.

‘As far as its textual authority goes, this story was not collected by
any of the compilers of the authentic collections, nor narrated by any
trustworthy narrators with a sound and unbroken chain. It is but one of
those reports collected by those exegetes and historians who collect every
unusual story, and make use of everything they read, whether it be sound
of spurious.

Qadi Aba Bakr ibn alAla’ al-Maliki spoke the truth when he said,
Strife has been caused by certain folk who seck out every capricious tale
and exegesis, and people bent on unbelief have attached themselves to
[chis tale] despite its weak narration, its conflicting versions, its lack of
complete transmission, and the many differing wordings of it. Some
say it happened during prayer, others that he & said it while asleep,
others chat he said it accidentally, others that Satan said it using his &
tongue; others say that when the Prophet & presented it co Jibril &, he
said, ‘This is not how I transmitted it co you’, and still others say that
Satan told the people that the Prophet had read it this way, and when
the Prophet & heard of this he said, “By Allah, it was not revealed this
way’; and there are other versions besides these. None of the exegetes
or people of the Second Generation who told this tale gave any chain
of transmission for it, nor said who they heard it from; and most of
the chains of transmission that link it to them, in turn, are weak and
spurious.

As for the rational side, it has been proven (and the Muslim community
has agreed) that the Messenger of Allah % is divinely protected and
absolved from such base things. Ic is unimaginable that he would hope
for suich words of praise for false gads to be revealed to him (which would
be unbelief), or that Satan would overcome him and cause him to insert
anything into the Qur'an that was alien to it, and that the Prophet J
would imagine thar something alien to the Qur'an were really from it,
so that Jibril would need to correct him #&. Such a thing is impossible
for him §. Ic is equally unimaginable that che Prophet # would invent
such a thing himself, whether deliberately (which would be unbelief) or
accidentally; for he was protected ftom anything like chat.

7 This paragraph is from the Shifa; it is nor clear, either here or in the original, where Qadi
Abu al-Miliki’s words come o an end and Qadi ‘lyaq’s words are resumed. [t]

80

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him f& Perfect Protection

tr has been clearly established, by proofs and by Muslim consensus,
chacthe Prophet f& was protected from any trace of unbelief ever crossing
his heart or his tongue, whether deliberately or accidentally, and from
the possibi ity thar he could confuse an angelic revelation with a satanic
one, or that Satan could ever get to him, or that he could ever attribute
tay words t0 Allah (whether deliberately or accidencally) chat Allah did
fot reveal to him. Allah Himself says: ‘Wad be invented againse Us any
sayings, We would have seized bim by she right band...’ 68:44-45], and
says: Then would We have le you taste the double of life and rhe double of
oath; and then you wouldst have found none to belp you against Us [17:75].

‘Were this tale truly as it has been suggested, then it would have been
completely inconsistent because of the contradictions it would have
encailed, and the mixture beeween praise and condemnation [of false
gods) it would have involved," and the uceer lack of harmony in che
Sgcourse; and the Prophet, the Muslims and the pagans (including their
chieftains) would ali have had to be completely oblivious to this. Yet no
‘one who gives it even a moment's thought could be oblivious to such a
thing - so how could it escape the attention of one whose forbearance was
icomense, and had vast knowledge of what constitutes clear and eloquent
speech?

Moreover, it is well-known that che hypocrites, idolaters, and those
Muslims who were weak-hearted and ignorant would leap at the
slightest chance to attack the Prophet % for the least of things, and
to criticise and insule the Muslims whenever possible; and those weak-
hearted people who professed Islam would leave the religion because
of the least doubt that arose. Yet this story has never been told by
anyone, save for these few weak narrations; if it were really reue, then
Quraysh would have used it to attack the Muslims, and the Jews would
have seized it as an argument against them, just as they did - in their
arrogance ~ with the story of the Mi‘raj, causing some weak-hearted
believers to apostatise.

Yet when it comes to this story, there are no reports that any opponent
of Islam used it as an argument, nor that any Muslim ever raised an
objection about it. This shows that it is false and utterly without
foundation. There is no doubt that certain demons, whether human

™* Because the rest of the chapter, and indeed the whole Qur'an, docs nothing but condemn
these false gods.

81

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

beings or jinn, invented this story and spread it by means of certain
narrators, in order to cause confusion for those Muslims

careless ha
whose faith is weak.

82

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him S Perfect Protection

Avvan’s Perrecr Protection
oF Him # FROM ALL FLaws AND
Dousts

HERE ARE many reports and narrations showing how our Prophet
T jewas free of all flaws from the moment he was born, and grew up
not only possessing faith in the Oneness of Allah, but illumined by the
lights of divine knowledge and the breczes of spiritual felicity,

Because of this, his # recognition of Aliah’s Oneness, knowledge of His
Qualities, and faith in Him and in all that He revealed to him, were based
ona foundation of the deepest knowledge and certitude, completely free
of any trace of ignorance, doubt or uncertainty, and divinely protected
against anything that might impair that knowledge and certitude.

Now if there are any texts which, on the surface, might seem to suggest
otherwise, we shall briefly clarify the truth about them here, according to
what the great scholars of Islam have said abour them; and then we shall
give our own opinion on the matter.

Qidi Tyad says, of Allah’s words ‘So, if you are in doubt regarding what
We have sent down to you, ask those who recite the Book before you. The truth
has come to you from your Lord; so be not of the doubters’ (10:94):

Beware (may Allah strengthen you) of imagining that there is any truth
to what some of the exegetes have said (supposedly on the authority of
Ibn ‘Abbas, or others) about the Prophet % ever having had doubts about
what was revealed to him. It is simply impossible for this to be the case;
and indeed, Ibn ‘Abbis said": ‘The Prophet % never doubted, and never
asked’; and both Ibn Jubayr and Hasan {al-Basri] are reported to have said
the same thing; and Qatida reported thac the Prophet & himself said:
{do not doubt, and I will not ask’ The majority of exegetes are of this
opinion; they differ, however, as to what the verse actually does mean.
Some say thar it means: ‘Say, Muhammad, to those who doubt: “Sa, if
you are in doubt regarding what We have sent down to you...’ They say
that the context in which this verse occurs is proof of this interpretation,

™ What follows is taken from al-Shift, Volume 2, Part Ill, Chapter One, Section 1 (FT ume

‘aged gull al~Nabi
*” As ibn Hitim reported, with an authentic chain of transmission (Sharb al- Qart)

83

since it is closely followed by: ‘Say: O people, you are in doubt regan
my religion...’ [10:104]. a

Ie is also said to be addressed to the Arabs, not the Propher &, as i
the case for Allah’s words: If you ascribe a partner to Alla, your work shi
surely fail” [38:65], wherein he is addressed in the second person but it i
really others who are meant. Another example of this is: ‘So be you ior in
any doubt concerning what these people worship’ (11:109]; and there are Many
similar instances.

Do you mor see that He says: ‘Nor be of these who belie Allah’ sions
{10:95], when ic was the Propher #& who was belied by others concerning
the message he brought? How could he, then, be one of those who belied
it? This all indicates thar ic is others, not the Prophet $, who are being
addressed here.

Another verse which is similar to this one is: ‘The Most Merciful: ask one
tubo is mformed of Himf [25:59]. These words are telling other people to
ask che Propher f&; for the Prophet § is better informed, and more fitting
to be asked, than any other.

It is also said that the ‘doubt, which Allah commanded people other
than the Prophet & to ask ‘those who recite the Book’ abour, means only
those stories thar Allah has rold us of the communities of old, and not
the matters of Divine Oneness and Sacred Law unto which the Prophet
& was calling.

Another example of this is Allah's words ‘Ask those of Our messengers We
sent before you...’ [43:45], which are actually addressed co the idolaters,
though worded as though addressed to the Prophet %. Ir is also said
that this means ‘Ask [Us about] those of Our messengers We sent before
you’, with the elision of ‘Us about’, and that these words are a complete
sentence, after which a new sentence begins: ‘Have We appointed, apart
from the Most Merciful, gods to be served: [43:45], a rhetorical question
‘meant to express strong denial. It is also said that Allah commanded the
Prophet & to ask this of the prophets on the Mi‘raj. Yet his certitude was
far too great for him to have any need to ask this; and it is reported that
he § said: ‘I shall not ask, for I am sufficed.’

Tris also said chat it means ‘Ask the commu:

ies of those messengers We

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him Perfect Protection

gent if they conveyed to them any doctrine other than che Divine Oneness’;
this was the position of Mujahid, al-Suddi, al-Dahhak, and Quedda, ‘The
garpose of both the verses in question was to inform the Prophet & of
That the messengers had been sent to convey, and that Allah did not ever
gllow anyone to worship anything other chan Him. This was a rebuttal to
any idolaters, whether Arab ot otherwise, who said: ‘We worship them only
that they may bring us nigh in nearness to Alla (39:3),

‘Another verse of this sort is: "Those whom We have given the Book
know it is sent down from your Lord with the sruth; so be nat ofthe doubter?
{6:114), Thac is, ‘Do not doube that they know you are the Messenger of
Allah, though they have nor acknowledged this,’ So this does not mean
hat he da could have had any doubt in what is stated at the beginning of
the verse.

Another possibility is to interpret the verse in the same way as the
aforementioned others; thar is: ‘Say, O Muhammad, to those who doubt
this: Be not of the doubters’ This is supported by what Allah says at the
beginning of the verse: ‘What, shall I seek any judge but Allab?, which is
clearly something the Prophet & is supposed to say to others

It isalso said chat these words were meant to evoke an acknowledgement
(from Quraysh] ;** as is the case with His words: ‘O Jesus son of Mary, did
jou say unto men, “Take me and my mother as gods, apart from Allah”?
{g:116), when He knew thar Christ said no such thing.

Ieis also said chat wa in kunca ft shabl* here fin 10:94] means ‘So you
are in no doubt, the word in meaning ma?" and the verse continuing:
“Then ask...) in order to add further assurance and knowledge to the
knowledge and certitude you already have,

It is also said it means: “If you are in doubt concerning the honours and
graces We have given you, then ask them about the descriptions of you in
their scriptures, and the virtues ascribed to you therein’

Abii 'Ubayda is said to have explained it thus: ‘Ifyou are in doubt about
anyone else, concerning what We have sent down...”

The whole verse reads: ‘What, shall I seak any judge but Allab? For it is He who sent down to
Jou the Book well-disimguished, and those whom We bave given ihe Book know isi sem down from
‘our Lard with the truth; 50 be not of rhe doubters [6

ing co che usual understanding.
lowing Qar’s understanding of the word md here as ‘no’ rather thap ‘in so far ae
‘as others commentarors on che Shifd have it. {t}

85

MUHAMMAD ff THR PERFECT MAN

One might ask: ‘What, then, does “Till, whem the messengers despaired
and though eat they had been led to...’ (W2:L10] mean, according to the
canonical reading kudbtba?”*’ Well, the meaning of this has been explained
to us by our lady ‘A'isha @h, who said: ‘Allah forbid that the messengers
could ever think such a ching of their Lord! This only means that when
the messengers despaired, they thought that those of their followers who
had promised to help chem had lied to them. Most exegetes understand
it this way,

Ik is also said that ‘they thought’ here does not refer to the messengers
but to their followers; this was the opinion of Ibn ‘Abbas, al-Nakhai, [bn
Jubayr, and several scholars. Along these lines, Mujahid read the verse as
kadbab, ‘they the followers] thought that chey {the messengers} had lied,

Do not, then, pay any heed to minority interpretations that say anyching
else about this; for such a suggestion would be unworthy of the scholars,
never mind the prophets.

Another example of this is found in Allah's words to our master
Muhammad §: ‘Had Allah willed, He would have gathered them all in
guidance. So be not of the ignorant’ [6:35]. Some interpret this as meaning
“Do not be of those who are ignorant of the fact that had Allah willed,
He would have gathered them all in guidance’ But this is ridiculous,
because even those with the least of faith are not ignorant of this fact, so
how could the master of the faithful not know it? This would imply
that he were ignorant of one of Allah’s Qualities; and this is impossible
for any prophet.

Rather, the intention of these words is to advise him gs noc act in a way
that resembles the attributes of those who are ignorant. It is also said
that these words are addressed to the whole Muhammadan community,
telling them not to be among the ignorant.

Other examples of this are His words: ‘If you ascribe a partner 10 Allah,
‘your work shall surety fail’ (39:65], ‘Do nor call, apart from Allab, on that
which neither profits you nor barms you) (10:106], ‘Then would We bave
let you taste the double of life...” (17:75), ‘We would have seized him by the
right band...’ [69:45], “If you obeyest the most part of those on earth they will
lead you astray from the path of Allok” [6:116], ‘If Allab willed, He would ser
a seal on your heart’ (42:24), ‘If you do not, you wilt not have delivered His

12 The primary meaning of kudbibw is'they were lied t this verse is usually ceanslated into

English as ‘..thought that chey had been denied’, or the like.

86

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him $ Perfect Protection

mesage (5:67), and ‘O Prophet, fear Allab, and obey not the unbeltevers and
she bypocrites [33:1]
Know, then, may Allah give success to usall, thac i isnot possible for him
{ro fail ro deliver his message, orto disobey his Lord’ commandments,
or to associate partners with Him, or to invent something about Him
that He does not approve, or to lic about Him, or to go astray, or to have
his heart sealed, or to obey the disbelievers; for Allah made his affair
casy for him by giving him unveilings and clarifications in the course of
his preaching to those who opposed him, and made it clear to him thar
if he had delivered the message any other way it would not have been
accepted," and gave case to his soul and strength to his heart by saying:
‘Alab shall protect you from men’ [5:67].
‘As for His words ‘Had be invented against Us any sayings, We would bave
adiaed him by the right band..." [69:44-45], and His words ‘Then would We
pave ler you taste the double of life...’ [17.75], they mean: ‘This would be the
requital for one who acted in that way, and would be your requital if you
acted in that way’ they do not mean that he & actually did act that way.
As for His words ‘If you obeyest the most part of those on carth they will

lead you astray from the path of Allab’
‘you obey

to other
139] The same is true of His words ‘ff Allab willed, He

swho disbelieve...
would set a seal on your beart ] and ‘Ifyou ascribe a partner to Allab,
‘your work shall surely fail” (39:65]: they are implicitly addressed to other
than the Prophet &, for they speak of the condition of one who commits
idolatry, which is impossible for the Propher J.

Finally, His words O Prophet, fear Allab, and obey not the unbelievers and
the hypocrites’ (33:1] do not say that he actually obeyed them; Allah may
forbid rhe Prophet §& whatever He will, and command him whatever He
will, Likewise, He says: And do not drive away those who call upon thew Lord at
morning and evening desiring His countenance’ [6:52], although the Prophet &
never did drive them away, nor do them any wrong.

*Thacis, Allah made ic clear to the Prophet & cha he had delivered the message in exactly
the right way.
Tap, in che thied person plural (addressing the believers)

87

MUHAMMAD dh THE PERFECT MAN

Tue AuTHor’s Own OPINION

Aw OPINION concerning these verses occurred to me, which
may be correct (Allah willing), which is that we can divide these
verses into two categories: those which prohibit him & from things thar
he could never possibly do; and those which hypothetically posit hig
doing things that are well beneath his # station.

THE PIRST CATEGORY

This caregory contains chose verses that prohibie him Ja from doing
things that he of all people would never do ~ things that one cannot
agine him & doing, or even someone of a lesser rank than him doing
Irinchades also chose verses that command him && to do something he was
already doing - things which che clear proofs and authentic narrations
of his & biography tell us that he had already artained and perfectly
mastered even before his prophethood began, being as they are the
natural manifestations of his tremendous character and noble ateributes,

My opinion on this category of verses is thar their purpose was to
exhort him # to continue to hold firm to what he was already doing,
whether in the form of prohibitions of those actions that opposed his
own, or cornmandments of actions that conformed to his own,

Examples of this are Allah’s words ‘O Prophet, fear Allab’ [33:1], Have
clemency, enjoin what is right, and turn away from the ignorant’ [7:199], and
‘O Prophet! Strive against the unbelievers and the bypocrites’ [¢ It should
not be understood from these verses that the Prophet & did noc have
clemency, enjoin what is right or fear Allah before they were revealed
lah forbid! Rather, these verses did not command the Prophet #
to begin an action or form it, but rather to continue doing what he was
already doing, and to remain as he was. It is as though Allah were saying:
‘O Prophet, keep on fearing Allah as you do, and maintain your refined
character by continuing ro have clemency, enjoin what is right, turn away
from the ignorant, and strive against the unbelievers.”

This is the case because he & was already endowed with these qualities
and had complete mastery of them; and indeed some of them had been
part of his character, for which he was well-known, before his prophetic
mission had yet begun: he was forbearing, generous, clement, and ever

88

enjoining what was right and turning away from the ignorant.

‘Another example of this is found in Allah’s words: ‘We have sent down
ta you the Book with he eruth, so that you mays judge becucen the people by
that weicd Alab has shown you. Be not, then, an advocate for traitors
This verse was revealed in connection with Qutids ibn al-Nu'man,
who, when his belongings were stolen from himn, accused Bani Ubayriq
(who were hypocrites) as well as a group of believers, of the crime. The
Messenger of Allah Ja scolded him for this, saying: ‘You have spoken of
g household known for their piety and righteousness, and accused them
of theft without any proof or evidence!’ Qatada took back his accusation,
and then this verse was revealed. The word ‘advocate’ seems to imply that
the Prophet & wanted to side with the traitors and advocate for them —
yet far be it that chis be the case, for he & was the Trustworthy One, and
twas known for this even before his prophetic mission began; and he was
always known for his pucity and incorruptibility.

submit that the meaning of these words is: ‘Continue, 0 Muhammad,
with your praiseworthy conduct and lofty ethies by maintaining your
refusal of aid, cooperation or defence to traitors.’
lah’s words ‘be nor of the ignorant’ [6:35] mean: ‘Maintain
your knowledge and wisdom, and continue to distance yourself from the
ignorant; and His words “be nor of he doubiers’ [10:94] mean: ‘Maintain
your certitude and faith, and continue ro distance yourself from the
doubters and the irresolute’s and His words ‘Do not call, apart from Allab,
on thar which neither profits you nor harms you’ (06) mean: ‘Continue to
call on Allah alone, and turn to Him alone, and hold fast to Him alone.’

T do not think that even an ignorant person would suggest that the
Prophet # cver did otherwise, or thar it even crossed his mind to do
otherwise.

The greatest evidence for this is found in Allah’s words ‘Nor be of those
who belie Allab’s signs’ [10:95]; for it is obvious and indisputable, and beyond
any doubt, that he # was the one who was belied by others concerning
the message he brought; how, then, could he be among those who belied
ie

1 submit thar the meaning of this verse i

inuc, O Muhammad,

89

MUHAMMAD gf THE PERFECT MAN

to hold to the strength of your conviction, the perfection of your belie
and the immensity of your faith.’ ,
Allof this is akin to what a teacher would say to a hardworking, br
pupil: “Work hard, do not be lazy or slack, and do not play around
although he is already working hard, and not playing around at all,”
“Thus all of this is well within the scope of the Arabic language, and the
believer's heart is at ease w

THE SECOND CATEGORY

This caregory contains those verses chat hypothetically posit his
doing things that under no circumstances could one imagine him doing
and it is unacceptable to understand from these verses that he could
ever do such things, or that such things could be attributed to him,
The exegetes have spoken much about chese verses and posited different
explanations for them, many of which have strayed into the realms of
affectation and absurdity.

My tiew is that these verses, some of which we shall mention preseney,
do not necessitate the interpretations suggested by certain exegetes, who
came up with arguments and theories which they then ~ because of their
faith — had to explain away with feeble interpretations and weak theories,
The reason all this is not needed is that these verses are meant (0 posit
hypothetical situations, and not to suggest that these situations could
actually come co pass. Rather, we believe that it is impossible they could
come to pass; and the fact that they are hypothetically posited does not
mean it is right to attribute them to the Prophet #.

It is possible, afterall, to speak hypatherically about the occurrence of
something impossible, and to do so does not in any way suggest that this
thing could ever happen. This is borne out by Allah's words: ‘Say: “Ifthe
Mest Merciful bad a son, I would be tbe first one to worsbip!™ [43:81]. Could
wwe say, then, that this verse implies chat such a thing could happen?
Only an ignorant idolater would say char. It is but a hypo that
is: ‘Assuming, for argument’s sake, that the Most Merciful had a son’
though in fact this is impossible without any doubr.

‘The same response can be given to any questions raised by Allah's
words: ‘So, if you are in doubt regarding wbat We have sent down to yo
‘ask those who recite the Book before you’ (10:94), The meaning is: ‘If, for
argument’ sake, any doubt were to enter your mind, then ask those who

90

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him Perfect Protection

recite the Bool but this is impossible, and will never happen,

Other examples of this are the Almighty’s words: Ifyou obeyet the mest
pert of those on they will lead you astray from the path of Allab) [6:116},
Alla wild, He would ea wal on your bear (42:24), and "Ifyou aie
4 pariner 10 Alla, your work shal surely fail (39:65). Each one of these
js a hypothetical situation that could never happen, and must not be
artributed to h No intelligent believer, after all, could imagine that
the Prophet # would obey anyone on earth, when Allah commanded
everyone on earth to obey him #, saying: ‘O you who believe! Obey Allab,
and obey the Mesenger’ [4:59]. No intelligent believer could imagine that
Allah would set a seal of the heart of Muhammad f, when Allah sets a
geal on the hearts of any who do not believe in him ju: Alla has set a seal
on their bearts and on their bearing, and over their eyes is a ve

91

MUHAMMAD d& THE PERFECT MAN

CONCERNING THE STORY
oF ZAYD IBN HARITHA

A NOTHER INSTANCE of this is the story of Zayd ibn Hlritha: ‘When
i said 10 him whom Alla had favoured and you bad favoured, “Keep
your wife 0 yourself and fear Allab’ and you were concealing within yourself
what Allah would reveal, and you did fear men, though Allah has a better
righe what you should fear Him. So when Zayd had performed that necesary
formality [of divorce] from ber, then We gave her in marriage to you, so ther
there should not be any sin for believers in respect of the wives of their adopted
sons, when the latter bave performed that necessary formalicy [of divorce from
them; and Aliab’s commandment muse be fulfilled’ [33:37].

Some exegetes have erred in their exegesis of this, saying that it means
that when the Propher §& saw Zaynab she aroused his admiration, and
he hoped that Zayd would divorce her, yet kept this hope a secret and
commanded Zayd to keep her, out of civility.

Were this true, it would be extremely problematic, and would suggest
that he & turned his eyes to those adornments of the life of this world that
were forbidden to him.** This would be the very blameworthy envy which
Allah does not accept, and which even ordinary pious people are above,
never mind the Master of the Prophets §&. AlQushayri said of this:

This shows a great cemerity and a scanty knowledge of the Prophets
& rights and virtues. How can anyone maintain that he $ saw her and
then suddenly aroused his admiration? She was, after all,
cousin, whom he had seen regularly since she was born; and women
would nor veil themselves from him; and he # was the one who arranged
her marriage to Zayd in the first pl

Had he & wanted, he could have married her himself before Zayd did,
and she would have been as happy as can be abour chis, especially
thar she only married Zayd out of obedience to the Messenger of
The truth in which we are confident before Allah is that Alla

28 Allusion to Qur'an 18:28: “Let not your cys turn duty from shem, desiring the adoreiment of

the present if.
te” Al-Shifa.

92

His Prophet & that Zaynab would be his wife ater Zayd fora legislative
purpose, to which the aforementioned verse alludes at its end. Zayd often
complained to the Messenger of Allah $ that he felt unsettled and ill a
ease with being married to her, because of several differences that existed
berween them, making it difficult for them to achieve mutual comfort and
harmony. Whenever Zayd conveyed these complaints to the Messenger of
Allah #, he would cell him: ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah,’
and would conceal from him what Allah had told him, which was that he
was destined to marry her; yet Allah brought this all out into the open
when Zayd brought the marriage to an end and divorced her.

This was, then, an act of manners and taste on his & part, and perfect
sensitivity to the feelings of others, even though it would not have been
blameworthy on his part ro simply say ‘Allah has told me that Zaynab
shall be my wife after you. This verse was Allah’s way of praising che
Prophet && for behaving this way and taking this stance.

This is che meaning of Allah’s words ‘zbow were conce :
what Allab would reveal’ [33:37]. eee ani eey

This is supported by what al-Zuhri is reported to have said came
to the Prophet to inform him that Allah had married him to Zaynab
bint Jabsh; and this is what he concealed within himself,#

This is furcher corroborated by whac che exegetes say about Allah’s
words in the same verse: ‘and dllab’s commandment must be fulfilled’ that i,
*You must marry her! It is further clarified by the fact chat Allah did not
‘reveal unyching connected with the Prophet { and Zaynab other than
his marriage to her; this indicaces that this was what he ~ ‘concealed’,
and what Allah had informed him of.

The wisdom behind the Prophet's & marriage to her was to put an end
to the notion chat adoption constitutes a permanent family tie, and to
annul the practice of it; for the Prophet % had adopted Zayd, who had
thereafter become known as ‘Zayd, son of Muhammad’. Allah annulled
this custom with His words ‘Mubammad is not the father of any man among
2? The author 15 reterring to Allah’ words: \..So that there should not be any sin for believers
ti respec af the wives of sbeer adopted sans, when the iaizcr bare performed that necessary formality fof
thease] from them; and Allab’s commandment must be fulfitied” [¥
™ ALShifa.

93

MUHAMMAD d& THE PERFECT MAN

+ [33:40), and annulled it practically by commanding the Propher
eam sella altedes ro chis when He 2ays at the end of the
verse: Sa that there should not be any sin for believers in respect of the wis
of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed that necesary form ality
lef divorce] from them; and Allabs commandment rast be full

‘One might ask: ‘In thar case, what was the point of the Prophet & telling
Zayd co keep his wife to himself?” Well, although Allah had informed His
Prophet # thar she would be his wife, Allah had not yet given leave for the
divorce to cake place; and therefore he continued to advise him to retain her
unl the time came when Allah willed the divorce to take place.

One might say: ‘What, then, is the meaning of His words ‘and. yon dia
fear men, though Allab has a better right that you shoul fear Him? We
the word ‘fear’ here means shyness, and not fright that is, “You felt shy
of them lest they say, “he has married his son's wifel”’ What he feared
of men was the calumny of the hypocrites and Jews, and the mischief
they could cause for the Muslims by saying, ‘He has married his sons exe
wile, after having forbidden marriage to the former wives of one’s sons!
‘Therefore Allah corrected him for this, and instructed him to rise above
paying any arrencion co them when it came to what He had made lawful
for him, just as He corrected him for being coo eager to please his wives
by saying: ‘Why do you forbid something that Allab has made lauful unto
‘you2" [obi]. In the same way, He says here: ‘and you did fear men, though
“Allah has a better right thar you should fear Him.

Icis reported that both al-Hasan’™ and ‘A’isha said: ‘Were the Messenger
of Allah f& to have concealed anything, he would have concealed this verse,
because of how it corrected him and revealed what he had concealed.

7 Fomering iw allowed in Inlam, but che child muse recain ite father’s name and nor br

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him & Perfect Protection

“Anp HE Founp You WANDERING,
AND GUIDED You”, AND ANOTHER
ConTENTIOUs IssuEx

NOTHER EXAMPLE of this is found in Allah's words ‘nd He found
Aven wandering (dallan), and guided you' [93:7]. Ic is said that chis
‘neans ‘He found you wandering from prophethood, so He guided
you t9 it} oF He found you amid a people of error (dalal)”’ and so
prorected you from it, and led you to faith and made you their guide’,
br ‘He found you withour knowledge of your Shariah, and so puided

you to it In this case, dalal means ‘bewilderment’ (tabayyur). Thus
the Prophet & would keep solitary vigils in the cave of Hirt, seeking
a way to approach his Lord and a law co follow, until Allah guided

him to Islam. Ie is also said to mean ‘You did not know the truth, so
He guided you to it’ this is akin to Allah's words: ‘He taught you what
you knew not’ (42113).

Jéfar ibn Muhammad is reported to have said: ‘I found you unaware
of My pre-eternal love for you (that is, you did not know of in), so T
blessed you with knowledge of Me.

Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali recited this verse as ‘And the stray one found you, and
wis guided”; though this is an uncommon way to recite it.

The meaning that seems best to me is: ‘He found you uncertain
about how to proclaim what was revealed unto you, and how to guide
people and convey the message to them, and so guided you in that.
This is suggested by what He says elsewhere: ‘We have sent down to you
the Remembrance that you mayest make clear to mankind what was sent
down 0 them; and so haply they will reflect” (16:44), Tt has come to my
attention that this was also the opinion of al-junayd.

Tbn ‘Aqa’ said that dal! here means ‘loving’, that is, ‘loving to gain
knowledge of Me’; for dali can mean ‘one who loves’, as was the case

% This chapter druws frorn al-Sbift, Volume 2, Pare INI, Chapter One, Section 2 (vat amma
Sgnacubum...)

The active part
‘Wisguided’, foolish
Me jatar a-Sédig
Wa wajdaka dallun fa-bada,

le dail (gerund daldl) can mean ‘errant’, wandering’, ‘confuted’,‘astrey’,
lave’, and co on. {t]

95

when [Valgi’s sons} suid {to their father]: ‘Thou boldest still to your
ancient love {dalalj!” {12:95}; they were not speaking about their father’s
gion here, for had they said such a thing about a prophet they would
have been guilty of unbelief. Another example of this usage is: ‘Cor

women that were in the city said, “The Governor's wife has been solciting
ber page; be bas smitten ber heart with love. Indeed, we see her in manifese
error (daldl].

‘Alsjunayd said that it means: “He found you confused about how ro
convey what He had sent down to you, and so showed you how to convey
it, due to His words: ‘We bave sent down to you the Remembrance...’
{l6-44] 2" Iv is also said ro mean ‘He found you in a state where your
prophethood was kaown fo 0 one, and then He made you known, so
that the felicirous were guided by you.’

‘A similar instance is found in Allah’s words ‘Thou knewest not what
the Book was, nor faith.” [42:52]. The correct understanding of this is:
‘Before the Revelation came, you did not know how co read the Qur'an,
nor how to cal! mankind unto faith.’ Ochers say that ‘faith’ here means
the obligations and laws of Islam. For even before the Revelation, he
was a believer in Allah's Oneness; and then che laws of Islam were
revealed, which had been unknown to him before, and thus his faith
increased because of the addition to it of religious responsibility. This is
the best way co understand chese words,

Another similar instance is found in His words: ... though before ir
‘you were one of the unaware [al-ghafiin[’ (12:3). Al-Azhart says that
al-ghafiin here means ‘those who forgot’, which is akin to His words
elsewhere: ‘lest one of them forget [tudill]’ {2:282). One must be aware
that the meaning here is not the same as in ‘those who are heedles
(ghafilan) of Our signs (10:7). Abu ‘Abdallah al-Harawi said that ghajiln

226 The author only quotes che fina) part of this verse, since the Atab readership would
immediately cecognise ic; } bave included the whole verte, co show the context and how the
word dal! ere again is connected
22) See che author’ explanation of this above, where the verse is fully cited.

2 Chafl (the singular form of ghifiin) can also mean ‘heedless,

2 This verse is cited here because dali is something of a synonym for gbafla Cheedlessness’
or obliviousness), thus if eudill can mean forget, gbafi could mean ‘one who forgets’

%

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him & Perfecs Protection

erst 12:3 means ‘those who were unaware of the i
ily know it by means of Our revelation, of Yusuf, for

™ This verse occurs directly before the story of Yesuf fis told.

7

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

AScRIBING SIN
ro His BLesseD PERSON 3

WOTHER ISSUE of contention concerns Allah's words “That Allah
AS forgive you your sins of the past and those to follow’ (48:2), This
verse seems on the surface to suggest thar it is possible for the Prophet
& to commit sins deliberately, since forgiveness only follows sin, Some
scholars have asserted this view and supported it, saying that itis possible
that he might commit minor sins [sagbair], backing this up by adducing
certain Qur'anic verses and hadiths which on the surface seem to suggest
this.

These include His words: And ask forgiveness for your sin, and for the
believers, menand women’ (47:19],'And [aid Wenot] liftfrom you your burden,»
which weighed down your back?” [94:2-3), ‘Allah pardon you! Why did you
‘give thera leave?" [9:43], ‘Had it not been for a prior prescription from Allab,
there would have afflicted you, for what you took, a mighty chastisemen?
[8:68], and ‘He frowned and turned away, that the blind man came to him’
[80:1-2]. As for che hadiths, they include the Prophet's words: ‘O Allah,
forgive me for what I have done, and what I will do, and what I have
hidden, and whee I have revealed,” and other similar prayers. They
also include his g words: ‘Indeed my heart becomes veiled, and | ask
forgiveness of my Lord”, and the hadith reported by Aba Hurayra 4:
‘L ask forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him more than seventy times
a day.
The Shaykh and Imam Qadi ‘Tyad (may Allah have mercy on him) gave
many answers to the questions raised by ‘That Allab may forgive you your
sins of the past and those (o follow’ {48:2]. One was that this refers to the
sins of his $ community; another was that it means those things that
were done accidentally, forgetfully or with some other valid explanation;
another was that ‘forgiveness’ here means ‘protection from the occurrence

2) This chapter is partially drawn from al-Shifa, Volume 2, Part III, Chapter One, Section

‘brad ‘ali man ajiza ‘layin aby.
32 The reacon this is relevent is thar the word wier (‘burden’) can also mean ‘sin

8

sia’; another was that when the Propher

oe hes hal fe dine oh os eee ay
we revealed 19 me; 1 am only a clear warner’ 63), the ded ne
pleased t0 hear this) and so Allah revealed His words “Thar dl
fare you your sins of the past and ihase to follow’. Thus, the meani ret
the verse i: “You are forgiven, and would not be punished for ean ee
if you were co commit one. ve

The Imam and Koower of Allah ‘Abd al-Aziz al-Dablvigh als
a finc answer to this issue, the essence of which is that the means of
‘ctory’ in the verse that precedes this one, ‘Surely We have gin se
manifist victory’ [48:1], is Vision’, that is, a vision of the Almi ry Fie
mercy to the Prophet 4, He removed the veil rom hin and alecced Hee
srch direct vision of Hiraself, so that he hereafter saw only ther which
is ror the Real, or leads to the Real. This is what the ‘manitese vines?
was, and it was given to the Prophet & even in his youth, for he was enc,
veiled from Allah. Yet chis victory is given to every prophet, and indeed
co every knower of Allah; what distinguished the vision of the Prophes
was the perfection therein of his Power and strength, and the aj ed Hie
his mind, spirit, soul, being, and inner secret, far beyond that of panes
else.
As for the word ‘sin’ in His words ‘That Allab may forvi
if pct and thew ooo, emesis the like a
the veil, which is part of man’s origin, being as he is created from dust a
turn, ‘of the past and those to follow’ isan allusion to the obliteration of
this veil; che meaning of ‘forgiveness’ here is ‘obliteration’
“Ic is as though He were saying, then: ‘We have given you a manifest
vieory by completely removing ffom you the il and Fulfiling Our fvour
us you, and emarng your guidznce and sucoue? There fo yreaer
fou, afer al than the removal of che we, and no greter guidance
tas die and experimental knowledge of Allah and no beter succour

unto be granted such a state. This is the essence of what Shayich alk
Dabbagh says on the matter.

ty Moreover, that when it comes to Allzh's commandment to the
Prophet & to ask forgiveness of Him, and his && obedience ro this, and

99

MUHAMMAD @ THR PERPECT MAN

the oceasions when he called upon Allah and asked forgiveness of
this is all a manifestation of his # perfect humility and his pee
willingness to be a servant of Allah, and his need for his Lord, sad pe
unwillingness to do without His grace, and his refusal to allow hing
to be deluded by what his Lord had already given him. Ir is as then
his sprirual sare were saying: Despite the grace, coward, and laiy suet
and high ranks with which my Lord bas blessed me, I have not ccased.¢
desire His grace, ond seek His favour, and stand supplicant at His doo.
and strive co attain all that is good and righteous. Indeed, he fi sate
this openly when he said: I have more feas, consciousness and knuwledy
of Allah than any of you." This was also a way of teaching the Musiny
community, so that they would follow his exarnple. It was, moreover, n
expression of gratitude to Allah in the form of perpetual service to Hin,
Why should this not be the case, when he f& said: ‘Should I not, then, be
a grateful servant?”

Imam ab-Shadhili (Allah have mercy on hie) said: ‘I heard related to
me the words of the Messenger of Allah §%, “Indeed my heart becomes
veiled, and § ask forgiveness of my Lord seventy times 2 day,” and could
ot understand what i¢ meant. Then I saw the Messenger of Allah ,
and he said to me: “O blessed one! That is the veil of light, not he vil

of contingent things
5m

‘As for Allah's words ‘And [did We nos) lift from you your burden,
which weighed down your back? (94:2-3], it is said chat chis means that he
& was protected from sin before his prophethood began, for otherwise
the burden of it would have weighed down his back.

Tis also said that the ‘burden’ refers to the responsibilities of delivering
the message, which weighed down his back until he had conveyed it

Tc is also said to mean: ‘You were weighed down by your innermost
hear’s concern and confusion, and your desire for your Shariah, until We

gave it to you.”
It is also said to mean: ‘We eased the burden of all that you had to

bear by giving protection to all chat [Revelation} which you asked co be

|LNasa, etc

16 Narraved in different version by al-Bukhiri, Muslim, Mall
2” Al-Bukbari, Muslim.

100

Part Two: How Alla Gave Him th Perfect Protection

protected ,
meso sal ro mean ‘We relieved you ofthe heavy
grr (at had alse our peopl
carpeaning, of ‘weighed down your back’ js thae it ,
nee Or pons tavAlal pieicag keweece ae
domes would have weighed down his back; ori efers the burden
othe message, or the way his fe beart was burdened and troubled by
the pagan ignorance which had afflicted his people; or it was Allah's wa
EF dling hirm that the revelation would be preserved for him, ashe had

requested:
%

‘hs for His words Allab pardon you! Why did you give she leave? (9-43)
this dxd not concern something that Allah had forbidden to the Prophes
fa before, that it might be deemed asin"; and Allan did nor deem ita
A The people of knowledge do not even consider this to be a rebuke,
2 they made it clear that anyone who did think so is mistaken.

‘The truth of the matter is that che Prophet & had the right to do
whatever he willed as long as nothing specific had been revesied about
is this is clearly shown by Allah’s words ‘Give leave to whom you wilt of
then’ [24:62]. When he & did give them leave, Allah divulged to him
information about them which be had not had. which was that even if
he had not given them leave they would have seayed behind anyway, He
could not be blamed for what he di, and the word ‘pardon’ (ofa) here
does not mean ‘forgive. The Prophet & once said ‘Allah has pardoned
you from giving charity" for horses and slaves, chough it had never been
obligatory for them to give it in the first place and He had never asked it of
them. This is also the way al-Qushayri explains it, saying that only those
who have no knowledge of Arabic say that ‘aft only means ‘pardon for sin
when in fact saying May Allah pardon you' does not necessarily imply
shat you have sinned. Al-Dawadi and Makki said that the expression is
kind of opening phrase of respect, similar to May Allah be good to

burden of the pagan

“8 This verse refers to the occasion when ch
the occasion when the Prophet gave Ieave to certian people to sta
abe Medina sarher than go our co the expedition of Tabak. {t) Pe :
at 1s, Allah had not forbidden the Propher & from giving them leave, {t
Meaning che zokat, (t] oe ean

101

MUHAMMAD gf THE PERFECT MAN

yout, or ‘May Allah ennoble you", used co begin a dialogue or address
‘Al-Samarqandi said that it means “May Allah give you health.

Sa

As for His words ‘He frowned and turned away, that the blind man came
to bim. What could inform you but that be might grow in purity, or ye
remember, and the Reminder profit kim? But as for bim who rhinks binsep
independent, unto bim you pay regard; though it is not your concern if he grow
not in purity’ [80:1-7], they do not affirm that che Prophet 4 committed
any sin; rather, they are meant to inform us thar the one to whom he paid
regard was one of chose who refused to grow in purity. So the words are
addressed to us, They also affirm that it would have been better ~ had
the Propher & been informed of che inner states of the two men ~ to give
preference to the blind man, rather than the other.

Yet the Prophet's & action, in paying regard to that unbelicver, was
an act of obedience to Allah and an attempt to deliver His message and
draw people to His guidance, as He had commanded him to do. It was
not in any way an act of disobedience or sin. The reason Allah conveyed
this story unto the Prophet # here was to divulge to him the inner state
of these two men, and to make clear to him that the other man was the
worse of the two, and to instruct him to curn away from that disbeliever
thenceforth, which is what He meant by ‘though it is not your concern if he
grow not in purity’ [80:7].

My view is that it is also possible that it is rebuke from the Real for
what he & did, chinking it the best course of action and deeming it likely
to succeed, though Allah 4» had willed otherwise. Rebuke [irab] does
not at all entail char there must have been a sin or contravention, and
this is true even of people in their ordinary affairs: a man might rebuke
his brother, and a lover might rebuke his beloved, simply for doing the
lesser of two good things, or rhe least perfect of them; and on the other
hand, a father might rebuke his son for being remiss or doing something
wrong. Thus the act of rebuke is too broad to have only one single form.

Ic is also said that the subject of the words ‘He frowned and turned away’
are actually the unbeliever with whom the Prophet #& was speaking; this
was the opinion of Aba Tamim.

4! The verbs ‘ft (to pardon’) and ‘aft (vo give good health’) share she same lexical root. !}

102

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him & Perfect Protection

a

other issue of contention concerns what the Pr i

Gee sad to Khadija $ when the Revelation fist Seti a oe
T feared For myself :

‘This does not mean that he $& had any doubt abour what Allah had sene
im, having seen the angel, rather, perhaps he feared that his strengeh
ul not be able co bear contact with the angel and the grest burdens
sfehe Revelation, and that his heart would give out or his soul give elf
up. This appics to those auchentic narrations which state chat he # said
‘Hie after secing the angel. It is also possible that he § said this befne h
inet che angel; for Allah had already informed him of his prophethood
by means oF the miraculous things that happened to him, such ae she
greetings given t0 him by stones and trees, and the visions and tidin,
Fat came to him.

Certain versions of this hadith state that these visions would first come
che Prophet # was asleep, and then the same thing would be shown
tohim ns he es awake, in order to make hien # comfortable, lest he

surprised in a waking state by a vision i be
CPi hihi Go clates

‘The authentic collections narrare that ‘Nisha & said: “The Revelation
came first the Messenger of Allah % in the form of true visions, and
ther he began to love keeping solitary vigils, until the truth carat tg hien
as he was in the cave of Hird’!

Iba ‘Abbas & is related to have said: “The Prophet je spent fifteen years
in Mecea: for seven years he heard a voice and saw a light but nothin,
tise, and then for eight years the Revelation came to him

‘Verily,

tbo Ishq relates chat the Prophet {& spoke abour the time he spent
in che cave of Hiri, and then suid: ‘As I was sleeping, he came te me
and said: “Recite!”, so I said “What should | recite?" He then tol as
‘ishe’s report includes, of how the angel whelmed him in his embrace

Al-Bukhari, Muslim

‘Al-Bukhiti, Muslim.

Mauslicn,

Or'Ldo not recite’ (ond agra’). {t]

Bree

103

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

and dictaved to him: ‘Recize: In the Name of your Lord...” (96:l], and then
said: “He then left me, and I awoke from my sleep with the events, 4,
it were, inscribed in my heart. I detested nothing so much as 2 poet o,
macman, and 1 said to myself: “Quraysh will never speak of me as such)
T shall go ro a high place sn the mounrain and throw myself from it ang
kill myself” As T was going to do so, 1 heard 4 call from the heavens: “9
Muhammad! You are the Messenger of Allah, and J am Jib
my head, and there was Jibril, in the form of a man.

“This makes i clear that what he # said, and che intention that he ha,
were only before he had met Jibril & face to face, and before Allah had
informed him of his prophethood.”

Se

‘Another such point of contention is his J& words ‘Indeed my heart
becomes veiled, and I ask forgiveness of my Lord one hundred times a
day’ (one narration bas it ‘more than seventy times a day), Qadi ‘lyag

said:

Beware of imagining that this ‘veil’ [ghayn] means that misgivings or
doubrs encered his # heart; eather, the basic meaning of ghayn here is
something that covers the heart and enfolds it, as Abit ‘Ubayd affirmed.
Originally, the word ghayn describes the way in which clouds cover the
sky. Others say that ghayn: is something that covers the heart without
enfolding it entirely, like che thin clouds that hang in the sky wichour
blocking out the light of the sun.

‘Whar is meant by this ‘veil’ is an allusion to the times when his heart
would be ourwardly occupied, and the times when his soul would nor
keep up constant invocation and witnessing of the Real; this would be
forced upon him # by the necessities of human nature, the direction
of Muslim affairs, family responsibilities, dealing with friends and

der this portion
26 Publisher's nue: Iris worthy of note that rhe hadith scholars do nor cons rf
of the hadith to be authentic. Ibn Hajar says, ‘Te is one of al-Zuhri's baldghat [unattribuced
tarrations) and has no complete chain of transmission’ (Fath al-Bar! vol. 19, p 449) ee

4 nm ans these words aboor
sid fr ma balagbana ~ according to what we have heurd’ and then mencions these »
_gping to the mountain. None ‘of the other narrations of rhis hadith found in Muslim's Sahih, the
Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Mustadrak of Imam Ekim, Bayhag's Dalal al-Nubuareay nor
indeed the other fwo versions that are found in che Sabib of al-Bukhari, contain these words.

104

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him Perfect Protection

secing to personal needs, and the
ying the message and ful
cbeying his Lord, and wors!

fos
sib his Creator; b

Pe Me toiest place with Allah of a clerk Hehe
dd bad the MOSE perfect {divine] knowledge of all of them, and sinc
hissrate when his heart and aspiration were purely concentrated on Ing
ord, and his entice being was turned co Him, was the grester of the
wo states he ever occupted — [since all this was the case] he & viewed
the simes when he Was temporarily out of chis tate [while distanced
gy someching else] 48 lapses in his higher stare, and a fall bach wo a
ewer station; so he asked his Lord's forgiveness for that. This che
pest and most well-supported interpretation of these words, and many
people incline cowards this view and find ir fing; now it should be
pointed out that this view is based on the opinion that it was possible
for the Prophet # to go through temporary moments of forgetfulness
and distraction in those matcers not dicectly connected to the delivery
of the Message.”

‘There are others, though, among those endowed wi
hearts, and the masters of Sufism, who affirm thar all
the Prophet fe, and chat he is far above being susceptible
or heedlessness. They say that the meaning of chis hadith is that he #
would become concerned and worried for the affairs of his comanuniey
because of his deep care and compassion for them, and so would ach
Allah’s forgiveness for thesn,

They also say thar this ‘veil’ on his heart may mean the inner peace
[aking] that enfolded it, according to Allah's words: ‘Then Allab ens down
on bim His inner peace’ [9:40]; and the prayers for forgiveness he 4 made
at these times were an expression of worship and neediness,

Ibn ‘Ara’ said that his prayers for forgiveness were meant to encourage
the Muslims co seek forgiveness and show chem how to do it; and others
say that it was meant to inspire caution in them,
of their safety.

It could also be explained that this ‘veiling’ was a moment of fear and

h enlightened
is impossible for
to forgetfulness

that they noc be too sure

“Stein nor possible thar these moments of forgetfulness could apply to the delivery of the
Mesage Because iis impossible that any messenger of Allah could fal to deliver his message as
Ailth intended.

% That is, wo make them think: ‘Ifeven the Messenger of Allah # asks Allah's

Forgiveness,
fhow should we not do 502"

105

MUHAMMAD §& THE PERFECT MAN Part Two: How Allah Gave Him & Perfect Protection

the heart, whereupon he & would ask lorgivencs,
ag gratitude and servitude to Him, as he sig
“Shail T not be, then, a grateful servanty«

His & MoMENTs oF ForcEtFuLNess
pip NoT NEGATE His Perrection

awe that enveloped
Allah by way of expre
his constant worshi

We have already seen, moreover, what Imam Abi al-Hlasan al-Shag
said about this hadith, and how he saw the Prophet & in a dream sayin
ina "That is the veil of light, not the veil of contingent thingy?” ®

HER ISSUE of contention concerns the ‘hadith of for 4
Aiiwine al-sabw),?* which tells of the occasion when the Prophet
jg payed te afternoon prayer and made che final salam afer only two
oycles Dhul-Yadayn stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah, did you
shorten the prayer or did you forget?” The Messenger of Allah replied:
‘Neither one nor the other? (One narration has it that he & said ‘I neicher
sportened nF Forgot.) Dhul-Yadayn replied, It must have been one of
em, O Messenger of Allch’ ‘The Messenger of Allah § asked the
people if Dhul-Yadayn was right, and they said he was; so the Messenger
PPAllsh & completed the rest of the prayer and then added cwo extra
prostraions after the final salam. Now this hadith seems on the surface
rrsuagest thar he & denied that either was che case, and affirmed that
there was no shortening nor any forgetting, even though one of them
fnust have occurred, as Dhul-Yadayn pointed out.

‘The scholars have responded to this in several ways; one such response
ig that the Prophet 4 was speaking about what he believed to be the
tase: when he denied that he had shortened the prayer, this was true and
‘orrect in every way; and when he #& denied chat he had forgotten, he was
capressing what he believed to be the case, namely chat he did not think
that he had forgotten at the time. His intention, then, was to express
whit he surmised to be the case, even if he did not phrase ic in that way;
hus he was speaking the truth in this case, as well,

What makes most sense to me is that his JA words ‘I did not forget’
were meant to deny this particular way of phrasing it only, and that he #
vas alluding ro the fact that he had been made 10 forget cather than that
he had simply forgotten. This is akin co the way he 4 would discourage
people from saying ‘I forgot such-and-such verse fof Qur’anl’. Ic is related
that he && said: ‘How wrong it is for one of you to say “I forgot”; rather,
he was made to forget. Thus, when the questioner said to him ‘Did
you shorten the prayer, or did you forget?’, he denied that he shortened
it (as was the case) and then denied that he had forgotten ic of his own

to hil

The author (Following ‘Iyid in af-Sbifé) does not relate the whole story here, I have

3 AlShofa, Volume 2, Part III, Chapucr One, Seetion One. tearlered Muslim's version for clarity’ sake. [t]

106 107

g had occurred, it had been sent upon him
Thus we see that he was made
, 50 that it could be an cxample

volition, and that ifsuch a thin}
so that others could ask him about

forget, and that this was sene upon

aes
rate «1 did ot forget, T did nor shorten’, and ‘dig

So when he & said
ae ah other’, this was true: he did not shorten, and he
bur he was made ro forget. This is supported iy

Malik in the Mumatta’: ‘T forget, or | am made
to forget, in order that T may give [you] an example to follow.’ Another
adn has it that he & said I do not forget, bur T am made to forge’

Now, this does not contradict the hadich ‘Tam but a human being like
you: 1 fonger, just as you forget", because his hadith affirms the act of
Forgetting, whilse che aforementioned hadith negated the word iselfand
the when used in a particular way, bur not the concept of forgetting
Ina general sense; thus there is 90 contradiction.

‘This explains his & words ‘I neither shortened nor forgor
remains the question of the very ascription of forgetting to

whar ir means.

There are three authentic hadiths wherein it is stated that the Propher
{& forgor something. The first is the aforementioned hadith of Dhul-
Yadayn, when the Prophet & ended the prayer after two cycles; the second
is the hadith of Ibn Buhayna, when the Prophet $ stood after two cycles
(without pausing to sit for the rashabbud); the third is the hadith of Ibn
Masiid 4, when che Prophet & prayed five cycles for the midday prayer.
This is what is established by authentic narrations.

Now, these hadichs all detail act of forgetfulness, and in every case they
were filled by Allah in order to give to the Muslims an example of how to
act in these situations: for actions speak louder than words. This is the

neither one nor the
did not really forget,
the hadith narrated by

there sti

&, and

2 “That is, so that people would know che correct sunna way to amend a prayer when the

wrong amoune of cycles are offered. [t]
a AL-Bukhisi, Muslim

108

Pars Two: How Allah Gave Him th Perfect Protection

as long as the mistake is not left unobserved, but rather is pointed
sso that chere is no confusion, and che lesson is clearly imparted. No
ofprance of forgetting of mistakes in his & actions, then, contradicts any
miracle of his, or casts doubt on his integriry.

"This is so because there is a difference between chase teachings which
take the form of actions, and those which take the form of words.
‘Rpparentristakes oF acts of forgetfulness could occur i the deeds he
et and this is possible, as the aforementioned hadiths of forgecfulness
sp prayer show. What was not possible, however, was chat there could be
any forgetfulncss of error in che lessons he & imparted by speech; for an
szpect of his miraculous prophetic narure was that he always spoke the
sorch, and forgetfulness in speech would contradict this.

‘as for Forgetfulness in deeds, it does nor contradict the truthfulness
of speech, nor cast doubr on prophethood; indeed, error
defining human characteristic, as he & said: ‘I am bur a human being;
T forget, as you forget. IF] forget, remind me Moreover, any apparent
errors or acts of forgetfulness on his & pare were actually a means of
imparting knowledge and affirming points of Shariah, as he # said:
forget, or ] am made to forget, in order that 1 may give [youl an example
to follow’, or in another narration: ‘It is not that I forget, but that I am
made to forget in order that I may give [you] an example to follow?

‘This matter was, then, 2 way to increase the clarity and efficacy of his
teachings, and a blessing for him; it was not in the least any kind of
faw, or a valid object of criticism,

‘As for those of his actions which were not in any way concerned
with ccaching or legislation, meaning those affairs of this worldly life or
interior concerns which he did not do in order to be emulated by others,
most of the Muslims scholars are of the opinion that it was possible
for him & t0 err occasionally in such worldly macters, This was due ro
the great burdens he had to bear, such as the accessities of human life,
directing Muslim affairs, fulfilling family responsibilities, and dealing
with friends and foes. But none of these could ever be continued or
repeated, but would always come and go in an instant. Others say that
all errors, mistakes, and instances of forgetfulness and heedlessness are
completely impossible for him #&; this is the opinion of many of those
with firm knowledge, enlightened hearts and spiritual stations — may
Allah be well pleased with them!

case

109

MUNAMMAD & THK PRRPECT MAN

Tue Issue OF THE
Captives oF BADR
it was ponsible far the P,

persiating
f Badr:

we wire are of the 1
fe to tnake a temporary mistake wath

“Were tt nat for a prior dere of Allah, you would surely have been vistiedt by

aan auful torment on account of what you cook” [8:68].
Is story will sec i doubt thar

t co. do as he did. Several observations

1 ="The Prophet gh came so this decision because of raking counsel as
he wus commiaried ro do by Allah ae when He said: ‘Consult them about
thelr affairs: and once you ure resolved, put your trust in Alla [3:15
the opinion of those who prelerred to

ic wity of merey and lenlency, wh

And we bave not sent you save as a mercy co the words’ (21:107].

d= His dh action wan in agreement with what had already been

predestined in the Primordial Decree, in which Allah ge made the taki
pfbactles-spoils lawful for hitn fe alone, having forbidden this to all whe
cae before him. Ibn ‘Abbas § explained the verse thus: Were it not for a
prior decree of Allah, that x, in the Primordial Decree, staring that taking
batle-spuils and captives is lawful for you (the Muslims) ‘jou would surly
pave been visited by an awful ormens on account of what you tack’,

4— Just as the Prophet's $ acceptance of the ransoms was in accordance
with Allah's Primordial Decree, it was also in accordance with the Sacred
Ondinance that would presently be revealed in the Quran,” namely
Allah's word: "Yet enjoy the spoils ye have won as fauful and good’ (8:69),
How could something that was in accordance with both the Primordial
Decree and the Shariah which was about to be affirmed, ever be deemed
a mistake?

5 ~The revelation of the lawfulness of raking battle-spoils, namely
Allah's word 'Yet enjoy the spoils ye have won as lawful and good’, was an
endorsement of the Messenger of Allah's actions, and an affirmation
af his sound judgement. Had he & been mistaken in doing what he did,
how could Allah a» give it sanction by making it part of the permanent
Divine Law? Even according to the opinion of those who believe that the
Prophet # could make a mistake momentarily before being corrected by
Allab, it could not be said what he & did with the capcives of Badr was
1 mistake, since Allah aw endorsed his action. Where, then, is the error?
Hlifiz Ibn Kathie said in his Tafir:

‘The ruling established here concerning captives remains applicable
according to the majority of scholars, namely that the ruler is free to
choose from the following options:

(1) He can execute them, as was the case with the Bani Qurayza, or (2)
he can ransom them for money, as was done with the captives of Badr;
or exchange them for Muslim captives, as the Messenger of Allah &

“Inthe very next verse,

M1

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

did with the slave-girl and her daughter who were captured by Salama
‘bn aLAkwa, eachinging thera for an equal number of Muslim captive,
held by the wJolaters, ar (3) he can keep the captives as bondsmen, This
is the opinion of Imam Shafi and other scholars; the details of the
scholarly difference of opinion on this matter can be found in the books

of jurisprudence.

6 —If what the Prophet # did with che captives at Badr had been an
error, Allah ae would have commanded him to return the ransoms, and
seek forgiveness from Him for the wrong he had done by taking them;
yet Allah endorsed his action and sanctioned it with His words “Yer en,

the spoils ye have won as lavfal and good..." Fit had been a mistake, Alla
ae would not have endorsed it for him, nor would He have sanctioned jt

in this way.

7 - How could it be judged that the Prophet J was wrong in his
dealings with the captives of Badr, when he §& was commanded to give
the decision to his Companions, and then acted in accordance with this
decision? AV-Tirmi , Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim all narrate
with a rigorously authenticated chain of transmission that ‘Ali & said:
‘fibril sa came to the Messenger of Allah # on the day of Badr and said,
*Give your Companions the decision regarding the captives: if they wish
they may execute them, and if they wish they may ransom them, on the
understanding that a similar number of them (ie. the Companions) shall
be slain next year.” And so they said, “We choose the ransom, and that
we be slain.” (Thar is, chat seventy of them be slain in curn, and thus be
martyred in Allah's cause.)

Ibn Si‘d also narrates with a mursaf* chain from Qatada that their
reply was: ‘We shall ransom them, and thus gain strength over them by
their means; and next year seventy of us shall enter Paradise, and then
they ransomed them

Al-Hafiz al-Qasrallani said: ‘This shows thac they only did what they
had been permitted to do.

As for Allah’s words ‘Ie is not for a Prophet to hold captives until be bas
made great slaughter in the land. You would have for yourselves the gains of

A munal azration is one where the Companion who reported the hadith Is not mentioned

by name in the chain of transmission. (t}

itd

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him je Perfect Protection

his world, whilst Allab would have for you the Hereafier. :67], the verse
does nut in any WEY constitute a rebuke of the Prophet & bur is rahey
a rebuke of those who advised the Propher & to accept the ransoms out
cof desire for (the gains of this world) (namely, the wealth that would
be given for the ransom) when he sought the advice of the people in
general before secking it in private from Aba Bake, ‘Umar, an ‘Alt, as
fr mencioned above. Thus by His words ‘Yeu would bave for yours se
gas ofthis world, Allah meant the people who desired co gain wealth,

As for our master the Messenger of Allah &, he did nat accept che
ransoms out of desire for the gains of this world ~ far be it for him to do
any such thing! The life of this world in its entirety had no value for him
whatsoever, and he # himself said: “What have I to do with this world?
My place in chis world is no more than char of a traveller who seeks rest
beneath a tree and, then moves on and leaves it! The mountain of
‘Tihima’s weight in gold was offered to him and he refused it: what did
be have co do with the gains of this world?

Similarly, Allah's words ‘Were it not for a prior decree of Allab, you would
surely brave been visited by ar auful torment on account of what you took; yet
nj tbe spoils ye have won as laf and good’ is a declaration from Him of
the favour and blessing He bestowed upon this community by the grace
of thelr Prophet #, and an announcement that it was already decreed in
pre-ecernity thar bartle-spoils were lawful for this community alone, as
a blessing and favour from Him by the grace of their Prophet # and hie
noble status in the sight of Allah. Therefore the Prophet f would lacer
celebrate this honour and make mention of this blessing as one of the
great honours with which Allah singled him out, saying: ‘I have been
gien five that none before me were given: Every Prophet was sent to his
people alone, whilst 1 have been sent to all men, the red and the black:

and barcle-spoils were made lawful for me, having been lawful for none

before me...”

A PURTHER CLARIFICATION

™ Abmad,
"" Al-Balehiti, Muslim,

113

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

In another narration of these events, it i reported that ‘Umar & saig.
“The next day, I returned to the Prophet # and AbG Bake and foung
them weeping. “Why do you and your companion weep?” I asked, “fo, ig
Lam moved to weep, I shall weep, and if not, I shall make myself we,
chat | might weep with you.” The Messenger of Allah & said “T weep
what I have been informed of your companions’ punishment for Accepting
che ransoms; for their punishment has been shown to me more clay
than this tree (he pointed co a nearby tree)” Allah then revealed: ‘tis ngy
for a Prophet to bold captives until be has made great slaughter in the land,
You would bave for yourselves the gains of this world, whilst Allab would hays
for you the Hereafter; and Allah is Mighty, Wise. Were it not for a prior decree
of Allab, you would surely have been visited by an auful torment on account
of what you took; yet enjay the spoils ye bave won as laufial and good, and be
mindful of Allah, Allab i forgiving, Mercifal” (8:67-63]. With that, Allah
made bartle-spoils lawful to them.”

I say that the correct understanding of this is that this vision of theit
punishment was shown to him & before these verses were revealed,
endorsing his actions and supporting the position he took, after his heart
inclined to the view of Abi Bakr a. The reason this vision of their
punishment was shown to him 4 was to increase the great blessing Allah
bestowed upon them by allowing chem that which had been forbidden to
those who came before them; and this, by making clear the penalty thar
these captives would have deserved had things been done in the same
way they had always been done before. The vision of their punishment
that the Prophet & saw was a vision of what they would have deserved
had it not been that Allah’s decreed law was the very ching to which His
Truthful Messenger & had been guided ~ namely, to accept the ransoms
and take the batrle-spoils. When this was shown to the Chosen Prophet
&, he wept, because he thought that this was Allah’s decree for them,
and imagined that he had been wrong to choose the course he chose; but
Allah Almighty let him know that in fact he had been right, sending
down verses that affirmed that he had done the right ching, supported
his words and deeds, and rurned the course he had chosen into an official
position of the Shariah and a foundation of prisoner-of-war policy that
would last until the end of time.

As for His words ‘it is not for a Prophet to hold captives until be bas

2 Muslim, Abi Diwad, a1-Tirmidht,

4

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him t Perfect Protection

node great slangbter inthe land.’ the correct understanding is that Allah
Tevealed this verse 0 inform Fis Prophet Muhammad & of wher ae

ition ofthe previous reveled laws had been on ths matter, as though
Pring © bim: ‘O Muhammad, none of the prophets who came beter
you were allowed to take captives until chey had deale much slaughes
‘and damage to the enemy. This was the case in the past; but as for you,
We have allowed you to do so, and given you a special rink and pecivion
hich makes you distinct from all the others.

This verse gives us, then, a clear indication of the great blessing that
was bestowed upon Muhammad 4, showing us as i does how hie ocd
fivoured him and singled him out by permitting him that which hed
heen forbidden to those who came before him. Reflect on this. There
amas neither any rebuke nor any objection; and praise be co Allah for thar
‘This is what I have ro say on the marter, and we ask Him I to give us 4
sound understanding of His Holy Book.

1s

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

Tue INCIDENT OF THE DaTE-PALMs

ose wii say it was possible for the Propher & t0 make temporary
hee also cite the story of the cross-pollination of the date.
palms. The story goes that the Prophet & passed by some people cross.
pollinating date-palms, and said to them: "Were you not to do so, it woul
be well’ The trees then produced poor yields. The Prophet & passed by
them again, and said, ‘What has befallen your date-palms?” They replied
‘You said such-and-such.' He & replied, "You know best the affairs of
your world From this hadith, some people have understood that the
Prophet & could be wrong about worldly matters, and have gone as Farag
to list the things they believe che Messenger of Allah # was wrong abour,
But the truth has more right to be followed, and the truth is that the
words and deeds of the Prophet # explain one another, and resemble one
another; and Allah a» protected him §& from error just as He protected
him for sin, So we say, and all success comes from Al
First of all, the Prophet & grew up in chose blessed lands in which date-
palms are grown, and vas ruised amongst people who knew well the are
of cultivating them, and che careful processes that it required. How could
it be imagined that he & would be unaware of the unchanging customs
of date-palm cultivation, and the necessity of cross-pollination as a basic
agricultural principle? It is not as chough this was a secret of date-palm
cultivation, or some kind of hidden inside knowledge pertaining to it. He
must, then, have known about it just as well as they did; but he wanted to
teach them something which chey could not have learned by themselves.
Secondly, the Noble Messenger # was possessed of great knowledge,
and Allah s# bestowed much information upon him, to the extent that
he could speak in detail with the Companions about any subject. Al-
‘Tabarani narrates thar Abii Dharr & said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah
lefé us, there was not a single bisd flapping its wings in the sky save chat
he had taught us something about it.’ How could it be imagined, then,
that the Propher @& was not aware that dace-palms need to be cross-
pollinated, as is the normal agricultural practice? It must therefore be
that the Messenger of Allah # had something else in mind.

See alse imam ‘Abdullah Sirajuldin, Our Master Muhammed fs, Volume 2, pp 202-209

116

thirdly, there occurred other incidents similar to this o i
va an deduce what the Prophet & had in mind, ons cfenen wrist
hadith of the sheer f

‘Abad relates in his Murad that Abi Raf said:'A
fa te Messenger OF Allh & ard brought to him, Hoe Ae
pass me the foreleg.” and 90 { pasedi€ to him, Afer a time he said
“Pass me the [other] foreleg,” so T passed it to him. He then said again,
«Pass me the forcleg.” Isai, "Messenger of Allah, has a sheep more chan
wo forelegs?” He J ceplied, “Had you only been silent, you would have
paved me as may forelegs as | asked for® Phe Messenger of Allah
ed to favour the foreleg"

itis also narrated that Aba ‘Ubayd caid: T cooked a plate of meat for
the Messenger of Allah , who said: “Pass ne its foreleg” so I pused it
tohim, and then he said, “Pass me is foreleg,” so I passed it so him, and
then he fe said, “Pass me its foreleg,” so 1 said, “Prophet of Allah, how
many forelegs does a sheep have?” He & replied, “By He in whose hand is
my soul had you been silent, you wuld have given me as many forelegs
as 1 asked for.” This incident was not the same one as the previous
fusration, a5 al-Hifig al-Zurgint and others have pointed our,

Tris nasrated in Majma’ al-Zawa'id, on che authority on Ibn Ishaq
who heard from a man of the tribe of Ghifir at a gathering of Salim ibn
‘Abdallah, that the Messenger of Allah & was presented with a meal of
bread and meat, He & sat, ‘Pass me the foreleg’ and so ic was passed to
him, and he ate ic. Then he said, ‘Pass me the foreleg’ so the other was
passed to him, and he ate it. Then he said, Pass me the foreleg” ‘They
sad to him, Messenger of Allah, there are only two forelegs!” He replied,
‘By your father, had you been silent, T would have continued raking 25
smany forelegs as L asked for’™

So when the Prophet J said ‘Pass me the foreleg’ che third time,
despite knowing well that a sheep has only cwo forclegs, he did so out

™Al-Haythani says in Majma’ al-Zawa \d: “This hadich was narrated by Ahmad and al-
‘Tabnrini with several chains of transmission, one of which has it thar Abi Raff said: “The
Mestenger of Allah & asked me co roast a sheep for him so I did so..” AMTabarani narrated ic
I hes in a shorter form, and one ofthe naraticns of Ahmad is sound”

Narrated by Ahmad; ics chain contains one aarrator whose name is not mentioned.

117

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

of a wish to display a miracle of divine generosity, and a clear proof of
his prophethood; but since he did not find a suitable occasion for it, the
miracle did not take place. Al-Hafiz al-Zurqani therefore said:

‘The meaning of the Propher’s & words “Had you only been silen,
you would have passed me foreleg after foreleg for as long as you were

lent” is that this would have gone on as long as he was silent, hecause
‘Allah would have created foreleg after foreleg as a miracle for him g,
yet che attendant’s human instinct for haste made him say, ‘A sheep has
only two forelegs, and so the divine ourpourings were cut off. For such
a thing could only come from the divine ourpourings of the Beneficen
[a+Karim], as a generous gift to the Finest of His Creation f. If the
attendant had only responded with proper manners, and remained silent
and alert to this miraculous wonder, this would have been an expression
of graricude on his part sufficient to merit the blessing of this divine
oupouring being channelled though his own hands; but he responded
with incredulity, and so the grace went back whence it came, finding no
suitable place to manifest itself, for no ane deserves to witness such a
miracle - for the mere witnessing of it is a great honour for the witness
~ save one whose submission is absolute, and who is without che slightest
trace of independent desire or

‘The same was true of the incident of the date-palms. When the Prophet
& passed by the men cross-pollinacing the palms, he wanted to honour
them by showing them a miracle chat went against the usual custom of
tending palms by cross-pollination, and so ennoble them by making the
trees bear fruit without any pollination; for he $& was as well aware of
the usual need to pollinate date palms as they were, because he J lived
amongst them and knew their ways. But when some of the hearts of
these men did not accept this, and did nor completely submit to his &
words ‘Were you not to do so, it would be w stead clung to their
worldly knowledge of the art of date-palm cultivation, which is that their
prosperity depends on pollination; and so the divine plenitude found no
place to manifest, and returned whence it came. ;

‘This is why the Prophet 4 then bade them return to their ordinary
way of doing things, to which they clung and been unable co lea
behind, saying: "You know best the affairs of your world’, that is, ‘return

118

Part Two: How Allah Gave Him th Perfect Protection

to working 2s your own knowledge of your worldly matters dictates,
‘The cruth of what we have just stated, and our understanding that he
did nor make a mistake in this macter, is attested to by what the great
Shaykh and Knower of Allah, the author of al-Ibrie, may Allah benefit
us with his knowledge, said when asked about the incident of the date-

pal

His @& statement “Were you not to do so, it would be well’ was a
searement of absolute cruth, and these words issued from him because of
the certitude he possessed thac Allah is the true Doer. This certitude was

cessing of the diffusion of Allah's actions in all existence
without intermediary or means, so thar not a seed settles, nor a hair
moves, nor a heart beats, nor a vein pulses, nor an eye glimpses, nor an
eyelid blinks, except that He is the direct Agent of these actions without
any intermediary.

This is a marter char the Prophet witnessed for himsclf just as plainly
as he saw or sensed anyching else, and it never escaped his attention for
4 moment, neither when he woke nor when he slept; for his 4 heart, in
which this witnessing took place, never slepc. There is no doube thar if
anyone were £0 witness such a thing, all causality would {all away from
their sight, and they would advance from faith in the Unseen to direct
and firsthand witnessing; and they would witness firsthand the words of
Allah And Allab created you, and all that you do’ [37:96], and be endowed
with an absolute certitude that befits such a Witnessing, which means to
affirm the meaning of the verse with such an affirmation that the notion
that any action could be the work of any but Allah would never cross
their mind for the slightest moment.

‘There is no doubt that a certitude of this nature would be enough to
break the natural order, and influence the run of things; and it is the
secret of Allah gs, alongside whom there can remain no other cause
or intermediary. Therefore if someone who occupied this station were
to indicate the nonexistence of causality, and were to ascribe an action
directly to the Lord of lords, his words would be the absolute eruth.

As for those who occupy the station of faith in the Unseen, they do
not directly witness Allah’s words And Allab created you, and all thar you
do; but rather they witness che ascription of actions to those ac whose

4 Meaning ‘Abd al“Azia Dabbagh & [tl

119

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

they occur, and are only pulled cowards the meaning of the ver

Lemeaneel of all actions to Allab by means of the faith thar i
has granted them. So they are pulled in two directions by two things;
the Bret is hci Lord, inthe form of faith, which pulls them towards the
truth; the second is their nature, and how their eyes see that actions are
performed by others, which pulls them towards falsehood.

So they are always caught becween these two things, but sometimes
hhe side of faith is stranger, and so they are able to taste the meaning of
the aforementioned verse fora moment or CWO; and sometimes the side of
their nature is stronger, and so they forget the meaning of the verse for
day of two-~ and at chese times of forgetfulness, che certitude which can

break the natural order is absent.

“Therefore chat to which the Prophet $e alluded did not come to pass,
because there were those among the Companions (ie. among the farmers)
‘who at the time were not attuned to this overwhelming certitude, w
filled his au enuire inner being, und caused these words ro leave his mouth;
and he i spoke the trurh.

So when he fe realised why whac he had mentioned had not come to
pass, and saw thar the surpassing of this obstacle was aoc within their
capabilities ar the ime, he left them as they were, and said: ‘You know
best the affairs of your world."

In uny case, it cannot be said thar the Prophet #& was wrong in the case
of the date-palms any more than ir could be said he & was wrong when
he said to Aba ‘Ubayd, ‘Pass me the foreleg’ the third time. It was not a
mistake, but was rather correct, and expressed a wish to honour the men
with a miraculous act of blessing and increase; bur it did not come to pass
because of the presence of an obstacle to it.

‘The equivalent of this is the cucting of the blessed increase from the
skin of butter which the Prophet # had blessed, when Umm Milk
squeezed ic, Muslim narrates in his Sabib on the authority of Jabir 4
thar Umm Malik al-Ansariyya owned a skin containing butter which she
would reserve for the Prophet #5 and when her children would come to
hee asking for butter and she found they had none, she would go to the
sl reserved for him #& and find that there was still butter in it. The

Ab lieie, x0 quoted in Our Master Mubanuned &.

120

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him & Perfect Protection

it, whereupon it ran out, She went to the Prophet §& to ask abour this.
pid you squeeze it?” be asked. She said yes. ‘Had you left ity he said, ix
would have remained. ; ;

Muslim also narrates on the authority of Jabir fe that a man from
the countryside came to the Prophet f and asked him for food, so the
Prophet & gave him a half wag of barley. He, his wife, and any guests
they had continued to eat from it until he weighed it, whereupon it began
to decrease. He went to the Prophet # and told him of this. Had you not
weighed it” said the Prophet f&, “You would have eaten from it [evermore]
and ix would have remained for you.’ Thar is, it would have remained ay
Jong as they lived without ever decreasing, So the weighing of the barley
spelled the end of che blessing, Imam Nawawi explained the wisdom
behind this, saying:

‘The scholars have said that wisdom behind this is that th:
[of che skin] and weighing [of the barley] were contrary to heat ncn
of submission and absolute trust in Allah's provision, and were signs of
planning and the use of one’s own power, and an attempt to encompass
the secrets of the decree and bounty of Allah Almighty; and the penalty
for anyone who does such a thing is to have che blessing caken from him,

AbHafiz al-Zurqini said:

This does not contradict the words of the Prophet $: ‘Wei,

; : Weigh your
food, and you will find blessed increase therein? because this refers to
those who fear foul play; or it means ‘weigh that which you intend to
spend in charity, lest you spend more or less than you can afford, but do

sot weigh what remains’; or it means one should weigh when buy
when entering the house [after buying]. cas

% This i equivalenc to just over 60 kilograms (Reliance of the Thaveller, w5.!).

121

MUNAMMAD @& THR PERFECT MAN

Tuat Sorcery Was WoRKED on
Him & Doss Not Necate His
PERFECTION

orien issue of contention concerns the authentic reports stating
Am the Prophet J fell victim t0 sorcery, ‘Aisha & is reported ¢°
have said: ‘The Messenger of Allah & was bewitched, so that it would
seem to him that he had done something when actually he had not.
“Another narration has it: ‘So that it would seem to him that he had gone
to his wives, when actually he had not."

People difler greatly over this hadith; some reject it and suggest ic 1
inauthentic, while others become confused by it and find cause in it ig
doubt the prophetic infal Yer the truth of the matter is that this
hadith is rigorously authentic, and agreed upon by the greatest scholars
and it in no way gives us cause to doubt the Propher's

ry.
Allah protected His Law and His Prophet & from anything that could

taint them; sorcery is only an illness and a passing impairment that could
afflict him js just as any illaess could; and such a thing does not cast any
oubt on his prophethood.

‘As for the words ‘it would seem to him that he had done something
when actually he had nor’, they do not refer to chose things connected
to his ceachings or his legislation, or undermine his veracity, since
proven and accepted by consensus that he was divinely protected from
this. Rather, these words only refer to those private matters of his worldly

them might scem to him to be the case when in fact it was not; yet the
truth of the matter would become clear to him in no short time.

‘The clearest evidence 1 can see that his & heart and intellect were
protected from the sorcery is that during chat time, his speech was
consistent with its usual form, without any impairment, contradiction

* AbBukbari, Muslim,
» Al-Shifa.

122

or corruption of any kind whatsoever. It remained perfec, complete and
parmonised. This, despite the fact that his enemies were always watching
gum and banging on his every word, hoping co find something to use
against him and slake their rage. Had they found any opportunity to
do s0, they would have grasped it and made the most of it; yet there
is aothing co suggest that this happened. Allah protected His Prophet
{and left che disbelievers to wallow in their rage: “tnd Allah repuled
the uneliwers in their rage, and they astained no goad; and Allah spared the
elievers of fighting’ [33:25].

Indeed, I sec that the opposite was the case: the fact that he & was
subjected to sorcery, which affected his outward state, and yer his
heart, intellect, belief, and speech remained unaffected by it, is the
greatest proof of the perfect protection Allah gave to him, and proof
that his prophethood was divinely protected and impervious co human
vicissitudes, however powerful they might have been. Though his human
ature may have been affected by such things, his prophetic nature was
divinely protected from them, although che soul which bore these human
and prophetic natures was one single soul: the soul of Muhammad &.

Imagine if a thief were to manage to break into a house filled with
pearls and jewels and the most precious objects, but then found himself
unable to take any of these treasures because of an irresistible power which
avercame him, despite the apparent absence of any guards or sentries
and sent him packing empty-handed. Thus, the sorcery had effect on a
certain elect of his & human nature, yet had no effect whatsoever on his
heart or his intellect,

This indicates that the Prophet f is prorected with a special kind of
protection, and guarded a special kind of guard, so that no one can
hive uny power over him: he is protected by Allah, the One, the Ruler:
Mastec of tcuchs, Keeper of mysteries, Giver of lights, and Revealer of
secrets.

123

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

Dip He & Ever Curse ANYONE?«

NOTHER ISSUE of contention concerns the Prophet's & words: 0

Miah, Muhammad is only a human being who becomes angry
frnan beings do. { have made a covenant with You which You will yoy
aan er ever harm a believer, or cevle him, or Scourge him, then make
it an expiation for his sins, and a means of his being drawn neare j
You on the Day of Resurrection.” Another narration has it ‘So if | i
make a supplication against someone... another adds ‘..who does ie
deserve it. and another adds ‘So if T revile, curse of scourge a man of
er gs make it for him a source of purification, connection fr

You] and mercy."
Now someone might say:
who did nor deserve to be curs
be reviled, scourge someone who dit
any such thing as this in a stare of anger
from all of that?”
‘You should know —
# words ‘who does nor dest
inner reality of the situation’;
according to their outward appearance, as
"And forthe reason we have mentioned,” the Prophet # would judge chat
someone he scourged of chastised by words of reviling or cursing based
‘on the judgement suggested by the outer appearance of the matter. After
this, he 4 prayed for them, because of the compassion and tenderness
he feit for his community, and the mercy he fele for the believers (as
‘Allah Himself said of him’), and his worry that Allah would accept the

tions he made against such people ~ he prayed that his prayers
would bring them nothing

‘How could the Prophet && curse someone
ed, revile someone who did not deserve 16
not deserve to be scourged, or do
when he was divinely protected

say Allah expand your breast ~ that che Prophers
erve it means ‘in Your view, Lord, of the
for the Prophet #& would judge such things
he said.”

sup
against them, and his actions towards them,

“This chapter is drawn from ab Sha, Volume 2, Part {T1, Chapter Two, Section Fam at

a wat baditib..
218 “This translation is based on al-Qari’s interpretanion. [t]
#° The Proph related to have said: "We judge according ro the outward appearance of

things, and Allah takes care of what is hidden’ (Shark al-Sbifa)
2” Namely, char the Prophers & judgements were based on the outer appearances of things

s0 that his community could follow this example (Shard al-Sbif).
PL New shere bos come to you a messenger from among yourselves; grievous to bir is your suf
anxious us be over you, full of venderness and mere for the believers (9:128].

124

This is the meaning of hi 4
ue mercy: ing of his words ‘whi a
ia chat bis f& anger and fury drove him to do es her se
voho did sot deserve it ings to Muslims
‘This is the correct way to understand it, Nor should
, = hi
hig to do something he shouldn’ have done; ather, this eceld mene
thar anger for Allah’s sake drove him to punish the people involved by
cussing or reviling them, while he could instead have held back 4
pardoned them; oF, iC may refer to chose offences for which he fe ‘e
allowed to choose ether ro punish or pardon. Or it may be thar ie
jnention of his supplication [against these offenders} was to inepine
‘read in them, and teach his community to be fearful of viokawe
‘alleh's boundaries. eee
emay also be that this supplication of his f was meant a5 i
phrases which the Arabs were accustomed to using in thir comperatins
rd which took che form of curses, such as “May Allah fight his, "woe
petide his mother, ‘no father has he’, all of which were used when
speaking oleh eae and praising his actions; rhis was a scl
convention of Arab speech, and by no means we
peg On re these words meant to
‘One example of this is his words ‘may your right hand b i
dust! as al-Bukhari and Muslim narrate. Aletlie a apeai
Allah nor fill your belly? which he & said to MuSiwiya 4, 2¢ Muslin,
carried oa the authority of Tha ‘Abas, as fSllouve! “Once Ives with the
other boys when the Messenger of Allah # came along, T hid behind the
door, and he suid: “Go and call Mu‘iwiya for me.” I went and said to him,
‘Hei ating” He sida second ime, “Go and call him.” Iwent and sai,
Hei eating.” He told me to go again, so 1 went agco and :
cating,” He 4 said: “May Allah noc fill his bel
Another such instance was when che Prophet & suid ‘agri halgd to
Safiyya bine Huyayy, the Mother of the Believers % during the Farewell
Pilgrimage, Al-Bukhiri narrates chat ‘Nisha & said: ‘We set off with the
Messenger of Allah i for che pilgrimage, und on the night of departure

125

MUHAMMAD g& THE PERFECT MAN

afiyya gor her menses. The Prophet & sci: “Aged ball She wl yg
*
hold you all vp.”

The word ‘agrd is an excl
derived from a word meaning ¢i
alga is also an exc

lamation of disapproval in the feminine foc,
cher ‘hamstring (oF an animal)’ of ‘Youg
woke! aiid lamation of disapproval, meaniag ‘en!
sbed the Prophet & by saying \
and Rea On gs iven fo iether orci Belg
‘ vgs and he would say of one of usc, by way <b
me eS ni
This adh may ao be coumed a oe of ests
Go the Prophet # then worried that these sorts of (nnocent) phrases
Id actually be answered by Allah, and so made a covenant with hig
roan he cid in the aforementioned hadith ~ to make them a source
sor fcation, mercy and divine neztnss for all those to whom he said
seo fle did his out of his compassion for them, and to set their minds
doer igo chat chey would not ecl dread aad panic at having been acually
wae by the Propher &, which would otherwise have led them ing
cu

Now m« i
was not vulgar’; and Anas said:

id misery.
oe ee ane ids of che Prophet & could also have been an entreaty ois

whom he scourged or reviled for a good reason,
ae aking ico make ian exption fr them an
a effacement of their sins, so that their punishment in this world would
bring them pardon and forgiveness. This is suggested by another hadit hs
‘and if someone commits any of these things and is punished for it in chis

29 So the Arabic expression would mean something like ‘may she be hamstrung and prined
in her throat. it was e customary expression of the Arabs. (t]

74 Al-Bukhari

78 Al-Bukhari, Muslim,

part Two: How Allah Gave Him te Perfect Protection

ConcLusIoN

concLUSION, the Muslim must not rush to say that it was possible
e the Prophet # to commit sin simply because he sees a few texts
Filich be & expresses repentance, seeks forgiveness of Allab, turns to
vad expresses his fear of Him. In doing so, one risks falling into
Be et doctrine and corrupt belief, which is a deadly disease - we seek
ee ¢ from it!
A should know that the rank occupied by the prophets in
cary and knowledge of Allah, and His ways with His servants, and
a ory of His sovereignty and the power of His grasp, is whar makes
the 80) tin and dread that He will cake them to tar for things which
: ‘would excuse of others. There are things which they were neither
Fbidden from doing nor commanded to do, yet they were taken to tase
ie rebuked for doing them, or warned of being taken to task on account
Fchem, even if they did them excusably, accidentally, or as merely a
sneans of living their ordinary lives; and they feel great fear and dread on
eount of them, considering them to be sins for those of their status,
tod acts of disobedience when compared co their perfect obedience. They
gre in no way akin co the sins and acts of disobedience committed by

in

others.
The word dhanb (sin') licerally means something low or base; the

dhanb of something is the final part of it, and people's adbnab are the
basese parts of their nature. Therefore these trif_ing matters are, for the
prophets, the lowest of their actions and the worst of their states, because
of how pure and unblemished they are, and because of how their inner
and outer states are saturated with righteous deeds, good words, ourward
and inward invocation, and fear and awe of Allah in public and in private.

Other people are so polluted by sins and evil acts that the very same
wifling deeds for them would seem like good deeds. Someone sai lah
takes the Prophets ¢o task for atom-weights’, because of how high their
rank is in His sight; and He forgives the rest of humanity for the manifold
evil deeds they commit because He is less concerned about them.

The prophets are caken to account for these things in this world,
4s a means of raising their ranks; they are tested by this so that their
tecognition of ir causes their status to rise, as Allah says: ‘Then bis Lord
doe bim, and turned to bim, and guided" [20:12]. And He said of Dawid:

127

“forgave im for shat...” (38:25) and after Masa said repent unto You?
13], He said: ‘7 have chosen you above all mankind 4]; and after
speaking of the ‘of Sulayman, He said: So We subdued for birn the
send, which ran ar his commandment, oft, wherever be might light on; ang
the demons, every builder and diver, and otbers also, coupled in fcter: "Thi
is Our gif; bestow or withbold without reckoning,’ And he bad a near place iy
Our presence and a fair resort’ (38:36-40).

One of the theologians said: “The errors of the prophets iook like errors
on the surface, but in reality they are divine gifts and means of drawing
nigh unto Allah’ These event abo have che function of alerting the rse
of mankind that if the prophets were taken to task for such things, then
thie ig all the more reason for them to be cautious, and to hold themselves
ro account, and to maintain an attitude of gratitude for blessings and
patience in the face of trials. This is easier to do when we contemplate
tvhat happened to those who had such lofty ranks, and who indeed were
divinely protected ~ what, then, of those who are lower than them?

Ir occurred to me, when reading the Quranic verses directed to the
Prophet 4 which contain words of rebuke or threat, oF may seem to put
the prophetic infallbility into question, that all ofthis does not even really
need a response, since there is no real problem: this is Allah speaking to
the prophets, and He is their Lord and Master, and may address them
however He wills, and rebuke chem, threaten them, censure them, correct
them, and warn chem. This does not give anyone else the right to speak
to them in the same way, or use these words as support for whatever
understanding he might like to derive From these words: for example, to
infer from words of rebuke thar possible that they could sin, or to
infer from the words (Allah pardon you) that it is possible chat they could
ert. Nay, this is insoleat presumption and intrusion on the part of one
who makes such claims; for a father may beat, rebuke, or scorn his child,
yet he would not like anyone else to do the same, proffering the excuse
that ‘his father does the same to No father would accept this. Allah
a may deal with His prophets as He pleases, and address them how He
chooses, but He does not accept for us to deal with them as He does.
Attention must be paid to this.

128

Part Two: How Allab Gave Him jh Perfect Protection

129

ParT THREE

Tae PERFECTION OF His MAGNIFIcENy
CHARACTER AND NOBLE ATTRIBUTES

“Verily, you are of a tremendous nature” [4:68]

%a

His # PERFECT Mercy»
HIS & MERCY TO THE worLD

uate says: Hd we bave not snt you expt as a mery to the world
A piston. He is the Messenger of mercy, whom Allah ap sonra,

cy to all ereated beings: a mercy to the believers, and a mercy to the
bere and a mercy to the hypocrites; a mercy to all humanity, men,
it and children, and a mercy to the birds and the animals. He is
wollembracing mercy to all of Allah’s creation. As for his compassion,
ve erness, and mercy for all mankind, Allah says of him: ‘Crienonr os
pam is your suforing; anaious is be over you, ful of tenderness and mercy fr
ae believers (9: 28]. Tt has been said that it is a mark of the Prophet's &
yirwe chat Allah gave two of His Names to him when He said ‘full of
seaderness and mercy (ra’'if** zabimm) for the believers!”

icis elated that a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah asking
foc something, The Messenger of Allah & gave him something, and
said to him: "Have I been good to you?’The Bedoui

have not acted decently!’ Some of the Muslims became angry, and
vite as if to stand up to him. The Messenger of Allah % indicated to
them that they should stand down. He & then went home, and sent the
aan something else, and said co him: “Have I been good to you.” The
Bedouin replied: "Yes, may Allah reward you with goodness of family
sfolk!’ The Prophet & said: “You said what you said, and this
has provoked something in the souls of my companions; sa if you like,
say before them what you just said before me, so that thi
tawards you leave their hearts.’ He agreed to do this.

The next day, the man came back, and the Prophet # said: ‘This
Bedouin said what he said, and then we gave him more, and he declared
himself satisfied. Is that right?’ The Bedouin said: ‘Yes, may Allah reward
you with goodness of family and kinsfolk!’ The Prophet Jp then said:
“The likeness of myself and this Bedouin is as that of a man who had
acamel that ran away, and the people gave chase but only succeeded in

I feelings

% Thischapter draws from sections of Our Master Mubammad &., Volume 1, Pare V.
2 AbRalef und al-Rabim are Names of Allah (the Tender, the Merciful)

aking i 789 further still. The owner of the camel said to them: “Get
fom between me and my camel, for Tam gentler than you with it, and
Pnow it better.” He chen went to it, and Picked some grass for it, and
called i, until it came to bim and knelt. Then he secured to i its saddle,
snd mounted it. Had I left you when the man said what he said, and had
ed him, he would have gone to Hell.
as related that the Prophet said: ‘Let none of you tell me anything
about any of my Companions; for 1 love to come out to you with a heart
a

3 Pebcher manifestation of his compassion for his community was the
ray he would seek to make things easier for them, and express dislike for
certain things out of fear that they would become obligatory for them,
Examples of this are his % words ‘Were it not for my concern for my
community, I would have commanded them to use the tooth-stick with
every ablution; the hadith about the night prayer and how he forbade
them from fasting night and day; how he disliked entering the Ka'ha lest
his community take it as a burden upon themselves to do so; how he
entseared his Lord to make his expression of revi ing and curse a means
af mercy for their objects; and how hearing the sound of a child crying
would cause him to speed up the prayer.™*

Another manifestation of his f& compassion was that he called upon his
Lord and made a covenant with Him, saying: ‘If | ever revile or curse a
man, then make for him a source of purification, mercy, and connection
[to You}, and a means of his being drawn nearer to You on the Day of
Resurrection.

When his & people belied him," Jibril % came to him and said: ‘Allah
Almighty has heard the words of your people to you, and how they have
rejected you; and He has commanded the angel of the mountain to obey
your command to do with them as you will? The angel of the mountain
then called to him and greeted him, and said: ‘Command me as you will.

Abad,

‘Aba Diwad

All chese incidents can be found in che Sabib collection
Jn the early stages of the prophetic mission in Mecca. {t]

eeu

133

MUHAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

desire it {wil cause the Akhshabayn'™ to tumble down upon then
Se a lied: Nay, for I have hope that from cheie progeny
lah, and associate nothing with Ff

forth those who worship Allah, td

see ka ale narrated thar Jbl sad 0 the Prophet: Ally

aia manded the heavens, the earth, and the mounting

Ifyo
‘The Prophet & rep

hary ha
to ste) le nd he & replied: ‘I shall give my community respite, thay
perchance Allah might relent ro them.

hur & said: ‘the Messenger of Allah & was never given to choose
eroreen two thingy save that he chose the easier of them" Ibn Masi
iL aud: "The Messenger of Allah fo would give us counsel at choice
se sanents, Fearing lest we became bored.“ Aisha also related that she
sree mounted a camel which gave her difficulty. She began to pull it here
ond there, when the Messenger of Allah & said to her: Be gent

‘nother example of his & universal mercy was his mercy to the
hypocries,in that he gave them security rom being fought and caprured,
cut of deference ro their outward profession of slam in this world,

“Another example of his & universal mercy was his mercy 10 the
believers, in that they were spared annihilation in chis world; for the
peevious communities, when Allah sent ro them messengers in whom
they disbelieved, were visited by punishment chat encompassed them all,
Allah informed us about the people of Nah, Ad, Thamad, Lar, and
others, and how punishment enveloped them, and how the very thing
they had scomed before came to overwhelm chem.

"As for the unbelievers of this Mubammadan community," Allah
spated them the encompassing punishment that would have anaihilated
them, just a8 the unbelievers of the previous communities were to
annihilated, This was a tribute to chis noble Messenger 4, whom Allah
sent as a mercy to the worlds,

28 The ewo mountains of Mecca, Abi Qubis and Qaliqa’an
3) A-Bukhirt, Muslim,
2 Abthukchart, Muslim.
= Muslim
Metning all those to whom she Messenger of Allah & was sent, who consticute the

‘community of the message’ (ummet al-da’wa),

134

Part Three: The Perfection of His Mag)
ni

cent Character

HIS # MERCY WITH His FAMILY AN
D

HOUSEHOLD

M USLIM NARRATED in his Sabih, on the auth
. orit}

that Anas & said: ‘I never saw anys
geusehold than the Messenger of Allah Ieee

house in the elevated area of Median ai,
pith him, and enter the house, ee 8 and we would
wer-nurse’s husband was a blacksmith), and pick up hiya ne or hs
and then go back out. When Thrahim died, the Men nnd His hits,
said: “Ibrahim is my son, and he died while still at ie ae hh
ewo wet-nurses, who will complete his nursing in Paradicncwy Pe PS
An example of his mercy & with his fmily & that feo
with the household chores, as was me, would help them
who said: ‘I asked ‘A’isha & wh:
house. She replied: “He was 2 the servic
vime for the prayer came, he would po to es eal
oppressive men; rather, he would often serv
the Musnad of Ahmad, and elsewhere, thar
{ would sew his clothes, and cobble his shoes
men do in their houses’ :

¥ of Amr ibn Said,
merciful with their
im" used 10 be nursed

i and when the
He f& was not one of the

sha & said: ‘The Propher
and do all the work that

‘The Propher’s & son &.
‘at che breastfeeding age.

omplete his two years of suckling, for he died atthe age of wateen maxhs,
‘er seventeen months (Sbarb al-Nereavi).

135

His & MERCY WITH CHILDREN,
ORPHANS, WIDOWS, SICK PEOPLE,
AND OTHERS

L-BuxiArt, Mustim, and others narrate, on the authority of

‘Anas &, that the Prophet & said: ‘I sometimes begin to pray"
invending to lengthen it, and then heat the cries ofa child, and s0 lighten
the prayer, because T know the severity of his mother’s angst.’

‘Another manifestation of his mercy ith children is that he would
pat their heads, and kiss them: It is narrated in the Sabib collections of
pBukhari and Muslim that ‘Aisha & said: "The Messenger of Allh
kissed al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the sons of ‘Ali, whilst in the company of
al-Aqra ibn Habis at-Tarnimi Ab Agra’ said: “I have children, not one of
whom I have ever kissed!” The Messenger of Allah % looked at him, and
then said: “Those who show no mercy will be shown no mercy.”

It is also narrated in the Sabib collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim
that ‘isha & said: ‘A Bedouin man came to the Messenger of Allah &
and said: “You kiss children, bur we do not kiss them!” The Messenger
of Allah & replied: “Can I avail you aught if Allah has removed mercy
from your heart?” This means that those who have mercy in their hearts
for children are driven by that to kiss them; and those whose hearts are
bereft of mercy refuse to kiss thera.

Al-Bukhici, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi narrate that al-Barr@’ & said: ‘I
saw the Messenger of Allah & with al-Hasan on his shoulder. He # was
saying: “O Allah, [love him, so love him!” AFTirmidhi narrated, on the
authority of Anas & that che Prophet 4 was asked who from amongst
his household was the most beloved to him. He & replied: ‘Al-Hasan and
al-Husayn’ And he used to say to Fatima (upon whom be peace): ‘Call
my sons to me!’, and embrace them %.

Another manifestation of his mercy # with children, and his love for
spreading joy amongst them, is that when the first crap of fruits were

39 Te. the communal prayer in the mosque.

136

he would give th
ght to him Bive them to any chil
rani oateate, om the authority of Here wl
“was brought the first harvese n

ho were present.
A, that when the

prophet : ofa fruit, he a
rhs eYe tnd = on oy i and say: 0 Aho lace then
gece first of it, show us the last of it! Then, he would ene Pome

- Bive it to any

Mp ideen ehat were presen

“another manifestation of his mere

of his son Ibrahim . An

faah & went co ee his son Tbrahim 4 when be was

‘The enti * ponte eyes began 0 shed te
‘auf said to him: Ts this you, O Messengey ;

ee “0 Ibn ‘Aw, it is mercy!" Then, does ee Tie Prophet

ind the heart grieves; and he said: “The
eyes Shed ears, a eae BTHCVES; Yet We Say not excepe th
psses our Lord. O Ibrahim, for your loss we ate deeply a ee which

dna ibn Zayd & reported that one of

"ine Za rd hn eh Mg
iges welled with vears. Sad said to him: "Wha is this © Mes tie
Abb? He & replied: is ery, whch Allah ped n Thee

$e so
isa ah only shows mercy to those of His servants he
Another manifestation of his mercy was tha r

sich widoneaind poor peaplesand waft or nett ae
he would visit weak and sick Muslims, and attend theit fences" cw
would teat orphans well, and be kind to them, and enjoin thls ference
and good treatment; and he clearly elucidated the merits ofthe a
when he J said: ‘I and the one who fosters the orphan bel eth
in Paradise? twisting his fingers together, and “The best of the houses

tering

Iho al-Sinni also narrated it on the authority of Abi: Hurayra. Al-Hafig al-Haytha
Ml -Haythami

said: "It-was narrated by al-Tabarini in al-Kabir and i,

ranumission in al-Saghir are rigorously ues oe laa!
Nacrared by al-Bukhari; parts of it are narrated by Mustim.

1 Al-Bukhari, Muslim.

™ AbNasi’.

Abi Yall, al-Tabarini,

6 Al-Bukhari

137

MUHAMMAD §& THE PERFECT MAN

of the Muslims is the one in which there resides an orphan who is wel]

:

i Faculty or misfortune, he would be overcome with grief ang
inate af aed vith compassion, and he would weep on accoun
of it. He went with ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf and some others 0 visi
Safd ibm ‘Ubida, and when he saw hun he began t0 weep, and the others
wept with hie. And he & kissed ‘Uthmin ibn Maz tie he lay dying,
and wept; Wisha said: T saw the Prophet's # tears a lown ‘Uthmant
cheek?” Another narration says that he & kissed him between the eyes,

and then wept a long wl

Tha Majah.
Al-Bukhari, Musiim.
Al-Tirmidhi,

Ton al-jawni,

aaa

138

Part Three: The Perfection of Hn Magnificent Charact
acter

HIs & MERCY wity ANIMALS

ne Prorwer %& would enjoin mero
hee from starving them,

fonds constantly, overburdening u
qused chem suffering.

The Messenger of Allah & once passed by
emacixied. He % said. ‘Be mindful of all
feaverned: take care of them when you ride
when you eat them."

He & once entered an orchard belonging to a man of the Helpers, in
which there was a camel. When it saw the Prophet §, it cried out, and its
ges shed tears. The Messenger of Allah 4 went to it, and parted its head
gpd i became quiet. He J said: Who ovins his camel Whee nen
¢his?’ A young man ftom the Helpers approached, and so he & said tu him.
‘Do you no: Fear All for the sake ofthis beast, which Allah ha
you? He ined to me that you starve him, and wear him out!
"He & also forbade che overburdening of animals by stopping and siting
ca them withour any need, He once came upon a group of people siting
an their stationary mounts. He said to them: ‘Mount properly, and
dismount properly, and do not take them as chairs upon which to chat
in the streets and markecplaces. Many a mount is better than he who
siouared it, and more abundant in remembering Allah,

The Messenger of Allah & also forhade the killing of fogs, saying:
“Their croaking is glorification [of Allah]."

He $i also said: ‘A woman entered Hell because of a cat that she tied up.
She neither fed it, nor let it eat beasts from the floor’*

He # also forbade the abuse of animals by setting them upon one
another for blood sport, and provoking them into violence, “*

The Messenger of Allah & also forbade people from frightening a bied
ty threatening its young, When someone took some chicks from a lark’s

nercy to animals, and forbid their
eating them out, making them carry
¢M, OF treating them in any way that

a donkey char was severely
lah where these beasts are
them; and teke care of them

AbG Dawid, Tha Khusayma.
Abmad, Aba Diwad, al-Hakim.
Ahmad, Abi Yala, al-Tabarani.
ALNasi’i.
Al-Bukhari,

‘Aba Diwad, al-Tirmidhi.

eeeveas

139

id: ‘Who has caused her to fret ab;
she began to panic, he ge said: ‘W 0 ahou
roan Renn offspring back to her’ He also saw a hive of bees thay
eer had burned. ‘Who burned this® he asked. They answered thar
shop had done and he eid“ is not fr anyone ko punish with fre by
Lord of the Fire!”
- al forbade che killing of bieds for sport, without any beneficial
reason such as eating them, saying: TF anyone kills sparrow, i w
Jeclsim before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, saying: “O my Lo
seonideso Killed me for mere sport, and did not kill me for any good
mm
wie & also enjoined gentleness and kindness when slaughtering animals,
saying to a man who had lain a sheep down on its side {to slaughter i]
while stil! sharpening his kaife:'Do you wish to kill it ewice? Would that
you had sharpened your knife before laying it down!'=*
Hef alo forbade the use oF any animal, or anything with a spiri, a
a target for archery."

Al-Tabarani
Al-Bukhari, Muslim.

zene

140

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Character

His & Perrect Suyness»

nyness 1S a characteristic that leads to the avoidance of shameful

martess, and prevents any negligence in allotting people their rights.
For this reason, the Propher said: ‘Be shy before Allah, as He deserves’
‘The people said: ‘We indeed are shy before Allah, praise be to Him! He
replied: “This is not the case; rather, shyness before Allah entails that
you protect che head and that which it contains, and protect the stomach,
and that which it contains..." This makes it clear that shyness inspires
the one who possesses it t0 strive for perfection, and keeps him from
settling, for less. The Prophet & also said: ‘Shyness brings nothing but

a

ie Messenger of Allah & was the shyest of people because he was
the greatest of them in faith, and He # said: ‘Shyness is born of faith"
AlBukhari and Muslim narrate that Abu Said al-Khudri & said: ‘The
Messenger of Allah % was shyer than a maiden in her chamber’ The
narration of al-Bukhari adds: ‘If he disliked something, it would be seen
in his face.’ It is well-known that a maiden (a virgin girl) who is hidden
away in her chamber (her room in the house or encampment) is especially
shy; yet the Messenger of Allah & was shyer even than she.

His ® shyness was such that he would never confront a person with
something they would dislike. Rather, he would hint at the problem,
or tell one of his companions co address the person directly. Aba Diwad,
al-Tirmidhi and others narrate thar Anas 4 said: “The Messenger of
Allah & would never directly confront a person with something they
would dislike. Once, there visited him a man with a yellow stain on his
clothes, When he stood to leave, the Prophet g& said co his companions:
“You might tell this fellow to wash off this yellow stain.”

Abi Dawid narrated that ‘Aisha & s: “If che Messenger of Allah
& heard something about 2 man, he would not say: “What is wrong with
so-and-so", hut would say: “What is wrong with people, that they say
such-and-such?”

Another example of his g& shyness was when the people sat with him

a

See also Our Master Mubammad &, Volume 2, pp 21-25.
40 AbTabari,

© Al-Bukhiri,

™Abmad, al-Tirmidhi, tba Hibban,

ML

woo long after eating, and he was too shy to ask them to leave, until
lence of the Quran was revcaled specifically regarding this: Al-Bukhin
narrated in his Sabib collection that Anas. sa: ‘When the Messenger
OF Allah f was to marry Zaynab, Umm Sulaym said to me: “We should
give the Messenger of Allah & a gife” I agreed. She took some date,
Putter and cheese, and made a stew in a pot, which I took to him 4
He i cold me to pur it down, and then told me to invite certain men,
whom he named, and to invite whomever else I met. I did as he bade me,
When I returned, che house was crowded with his relatives, and ¥ say
che Messenger of Allah # place his hand in the stew and speak as long as
Allah incended, and then call people ten at a time to eat from it, saying
to them: “Mention Allah’s Name, and lec each man eat what is nearest ro
him.” This continued until they had all dispersed.”

‘Mushim’s narration continues: ‘The Prophet # was too shy [to ask
them to leave). Then, he $ went out and made for the bed-chambers,
and I went out after him, and said: “They have gone.” The Prophet %
returned, and entered the house, and let down the curtains. I was in the
room, and he f recited: [O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of
the Prophet unless permission is granted to you for a meal; and wait not
for its preparation, Bur if you are invited, encer, and when you have eaten,
disperse, lingering net for conversation. This would trouble the Propher,
yet he is shy from you; and Allah does not shy from che cruch] [33:53],

This means that because of his generosity, he #& was too shy to tell
them to leave whilst chey were sitting wich him; yet Allah does not shy
away from proclaiming the cruth that must be honoured. This does not
contradict that He as is characterised by a generous shyness in a way
befitting His ty, as the Prophet J said: ‘Your Lord is shy, and
generous; when His servant raises his hands to Him, He is shy o refuse
him."

Because they were sitting in his house, the Prophet #& was too shy to
be direct with chem, out of his generosity. However, the situation was in
dire need of clarification, and so the Qur’in brought clarification from
the Almighty Sovereign Himself ap.

38 ALTirmidhi and others.

142

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Character

Another aspect of his # shyness was that when he needed to answer a
call of nature, he w wuld go far away to an isolated placc, as was narraved
py thn Majah on the authority of Bilal ibn Harth, and indicated wo be
antheatic in al Jari al-Saghir. Another aspect of his $ shyness was that
when he wanted to answer a call of nature, he would not lift his robe
until he was close to the earth, as al-Tirmidhi and Aba Dawad narrate.
umather aspect of his & shyness was that when he entered the place
sphere he would relieve himself, he would wear his shoes and cover his
head, a8 Ibn Sa'd narrates.

“another aspect of his & shyness is revealed in what Imam al-Tirmidhi
pareates in his Shama’, on the authority of Wisha, who said: ‘I never
fpoked at [or ‘I never saw”) the private parts of the Messenger of Allah

>This was due to his shyness, and his perfect dignity $s, and his desire
cover hirnself perpetually. Shaykh al-Qart and Shaykh Muhammad
tbo Qasim Jastis state in their commentaries of che Shara‘! that Abi
galih narrated, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas &, that ‘A'isha 4 said:
“The Messenger of Allah $ never approached any of his wives except that
he was covered, with a cloth draped over his head; and I never saw his
[private parts}, nor he mine.””

’AFBazzir narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas & said: “The Messenger of Allah $e
would bathe bebind the chambers; and no one ever saw him naked! In
Sharh al-Shamal, al-Qari declared this to be a sound transmis

3 ‘There are two different narrations.
Shaykh Abdallah Sirajuddia staces that this was also narrated by Ibn al-Jawai in

143

MUHAMMAD #& THR PERFECT MAN

His # PerFrect GENEROSITY

ENEROSITY OR munificence means to spend willingly on that which
Gas great benefit or fulfils a vital need, or co donate money ig ,
good and righteous cause. Pat

Generosity was an innate, divinely-invested quality of the Propher
and a directive from the Qur'in; and therefore he & would encourage
others to be generous, saying: “Fhe generous person is near to Allah, near
to the people and near to Paradise; and the miser is far from Allah, far
from the people and far from Paradise," He also said: ‘Every day when
[Allah’ servants rise, two angels descend. One of them says, “O Alla,
give recompense ro him who spends"; the other says: “O Allah,
to him who withholds.” He # also said: ‘Beware of miserliness, fo
destroyed those who came before you’*"
generosity was not for the sake of earning praise or avoiding
criticism, nor was it for the sake of boasting, exploitation or attracting
admirers, rather, it was all in Allah's cause, and to seck Allah's goodly
acceptance. It was for the protection of the religion, the spread of the
call, and the struggle against chose who stand in the way of Allah's cause,
Te was for che material support of those poor Muslims who had lost
their wealth in Allah's cause, or were unable to earn. Tt was for the care
of orphans and widows, and the frecing of slaves whose owners were
contracted to free them for a price. It was for the attracting of those non-
Muslims whose hearts he & deemed could be won over co Islam.

The Propher’s f& generosity meant that he would put others ahead of
himself and his household; he would give away those things he needed
most, and give a lot when he needed a little,

He & would give all to Allah’s cause that he was able to give, and would
deem whatever he gave to be @ little. He would give a huge amount, but
not view it as 2 lot. He was never asked for anyching for the sake of Islam
save that he gave it; indeed, he never said no to any request.

He & was so generous that he would be shy to send a petitioner away
empty-handed, with the excuse that he did not have anything to give. A

"Thus chapter is partially drawn from Our Maiser Mubammad, Volume |, pp 221-224,
*AbTirmidhi

0 Muslim.

1 Abi Dawid, al-Hakim,

144

ame to him and asked him to give hi

“Thave nothing, bet buy something in oy nar Eee oBREE
pething, Iwill pay for it: "O Messenger of Allah said Umar hong
ssp! Allah did nor make you responsible for what you kare ve he
teeans t0 dot" The Prophet & did not like what ‘Umar suid, and os see
of the Helpers said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, spend, and do not fear any
Gecrease from the Possessor of the Throne! The Messenger of Allsh
sand, and his face showed delight in what the Helper hed waid, Th
tig said: This is what I was commanded vo do. sania

‘Muslim narrates that Anas & said: “The Messenger of Allah wae never
asked for anything except that he gave it. A man (Safwan ibn Umayya)
came, and he # gave him all the sheep between two mountains, The
man returned to his people, and said: “O my people, embrace Islara, for
Muhammad gives like one who does not fear poverty!” ,

On the day of Hunayn, in order to open their hearts to Islam, the
Prophet # gave each of the freed captives one thousand camels, One
of those who were freed was Malik ibn ‘Aw?, who composed a poem of
praise in bis honour &.

Al-Tiemnidht narrated, on the authority of Sad ibn a-Musayyib, that
gafwan ibn Umayya said: “The Messenger of Allah gave me what he
gave me at a time when he was the most hateful of people to me. He did
nat cease giving co me until he was the most beloved of people vo me.

AlWagidi narrated in his Maghdzi that Safwin went around with the
Prophet # examining the battle-spoils on the day of ‘Hunayn, when they
came upon a ravine filled with camels and sheep. Safwiin was impressed
by it, and began to stare at it. The Prophet % said to him: ‘Does this
ravine please you, O Aba Wahb? He replied: ‘Yes! The Prophet # said:
‘itis yours, along with all chat it contains. Safwan said: testify chat you
are the Messenger of Allah, for none but a prophet could be
do such a thin

Al-Tirmidhi narrates that the Prophet J was brought ninety thousand
dirhams, which were laid out on a mat. He then began to divide it, and
did not refuse anyone who asked for it until he had gone throug

It is narrated chat Abi Said ¥ said: ‘Some people from the Helpers
asked something of the Messenger of Allah , and he gave them what
they asked. Then they asked him again, so he gave chem what they

145

man 6

@ AL-Tirmidhi.

MUHAMMAD & THE PERTECT NAN

asked. Then they asked him again, so he gave them what th

Oh ey asked,
util all he had was spent, whereupon he said: ‘Whatever good I possi
would not keep it from you, Whosoever seeks modesty will be pranie
modesty by Allah, and whosoever is satisfied with his lot will be sutficeq

by Allah, and whosoever acts paciently will be granted patience by Al},
and no one vias ever given any gift finer and more abundant for him than
patience. .

Ibn Majah narraced that Aisha & said: never saw the Messenger of
Allah f entrust the delivery of his charity to another person: he & woul
be the one to put it in the beggar's hand. :

Iba Séd narrated chat Ziyad, the freed slave of “Ayyash ibn Rabi‘a ssig
“There were two things that the Messenger of Allah # would never
appoint anyone else to see to: his water for ablutions when he rose at
night; and the beggar, to whom he J would give in person.’

Al-Bayhagi and Abi Dawid narrate in their Sunan collections that
‘Abdallah al-Hawzani said: ‘I met and said to him: ‘O Bil,

, tell
me how the Messenger of Allah # used to spend.” He replied: “He had
nothing, and I was the one who would arrange his financial affairs, from

the time Allah gw sent him until he passed away. If anyone ever came to
him as a {new] Muslim, and he % saw them to be without clothing, he
would have me go and borrow some money to clothe and feed them.” Al
Bukhari and Muslim narrate in their Sahib collections that Ibn ‘Abbis
said: ‘The Messenger of Allah % was the most generous of people,
he would be at his most generous during Ramadan, when he met
Jibril to study the Qur'an with him. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah
was more generous in bestowing goodness than the very wind’

and

Narated in all of the six major collections,

146

part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Charavier

His % Perrecr Loyautry

ovary 1s alofty quality only possessed by those who live good lives
L su bave clear consciences. The Prophet f called us and encouraged
rain this quality.
raps the finest example of loyalty to a covenant occurred during
vers of the Truce of Hudaybiyya, when the Prophet 4 and the
the es made a truce with the following stipulations: that if anyone
idee idolaters went to him 4, he would return him to them; yet
from Cfustim went to them, they would nor have to send him back.
if ay Ucruce was being written, Abi Jandal came co him, walking in
fs ers. The Prophet & returned him to chem, our of loyalty to the
his Fervpich had not yet been signed. Abi Jandal began to scream at the
tren ig voice, ‘O Muslims! Am T to be returned ¢o the idolaters, that
top © ny persecute me because of my religion? The people were sll the
te) Megrieved because ofthis. But the Messenger of Allah & said: ‘Abd
her lave patience, and expect the best; for Allah will give you, and
he otber persecuted folk alongside you, a release and a way out.”
The Prophet # then returned to Medina, where a man of Quraysh
named Abii Basir came to him, having embraced Islam. Quraysh sent
fae men to demand his return, saying ‘Honour the treaty you made with
ig The Prophet # gave him over to the two men, and they set off with
nim, When they reached Dhul-Halifa, they stopped to eat some dates.
Abi Basit said to one of them: “By Allah, that is a fine sword you have
there! The man unsheathed it and said, ‘Indeed, by Allah, it is, and I
have este it and ested it again! “Let me see i said Abit Bagr. He gave
itt him, and he struck him with it and Killed him. The other man Red
back ro Medina and entered the mosque, terrified. When the Prophet $
saw bim, he said: “This onc has had a fright!” He went to the Prophet #
and sid, ‘By Allah, my companion was killed and I barely escaped with
mmy life!’ Aba Basi then arrived, and said: ‘O Prophec of Allah! Allah
tas absolved you of any blame: you returned me to them, and then He
saved me from them!" The Prophet J& said: ‘Woe betide his mother, what
a firebrand! If only he had some help...’ When Aba Basir heard this, he
reilsed that the Prophet @& would send him back again to them, so he
made for the coast. Meanwhile, Abu Jandal had escaped from them too,

* AbBukin, [bn Hisham,

147

and he met up with Aba Bagir along with a group of others, They then
began to waylay every caravan Quraysh sent out to the Levant, kil ng
them and seizing their goods. Quraysh therefore sent a message to ihe
Prophet §, asking him for the sake of Allah and kith and kin co send for
Abii Basir and the others, and promising that if they went to him they
would he left alone. So the Prophet & sent for them."
Thus the Prophet # kept his oath and loyally Fulfilled its condition,
and the Prophet's virtue and far-sightedness was clearly manifested,
‘abdallah ibn Abi al-Hamsi’ said: ‘I made a contract of sale with the
Prophet js before he was sent on his mission, and I still owed him some
of it, so I promised him | would meet him at a certain place to give 1
to him, but chen I forgot. After three days, I remembered, I went to the
place, and there he was 4. He said: “My son, you have inconvenienced
me! T have been here for three days awaiting you!"™*
woman came to the Prophet #. He asked her who she was,
and she said, ‘I am Jathama al-Mazaniyya.’ ‘Nay, he & said, ‘you are
Hassana®” al-Mazaniyya! How have you been since last we met?” She s
“Very well, may my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Messenger
of Allah. When she had lefi, someone said; ‘O Messenger of Allah, why
did you give that old woman such a welcome?’ He replied: ‘She used to
come and see us when Khadija was still here; and keeping good relations
is part of faith,
‘One day he J was sitting when his father by nursing” came to him &,
so he laid down one of his cloaks for him to sit on. Then his mother by
nursing came, so he #& laid down part of his cloak from the other side for
her to sit on, Then his brother by breastfeeding came, so the Messenger
of Allah $ stood for him, and bade him sit down in front of him.™ He
made clear his feelings towards the tribe of Hawazin, in which he had
paternal aunts, aunts by nursing, and nursemaids. One of them said to

™ Aba Dawad.

4 Abi Dawud, Ibo al-Jawai.

M Hassinia means ‘very beaunifu!
™ ALEim,
Le. the husband of the woman who suchled him @. ft]
Aba Dawid.

148

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Character

‘Had we nursed Nu'man bin al-Mundhir;
bint have affection for us; and you are the best
ner gave them enough to fulfil all their hope.
me nce of his loyalty and chivalry,

"The Prophet knew how parents must be shown reverence, kindness,
and deference, following both the guidance of the Holy Qur'an and che
inaons of his pure inclinations, ncble character and sense of inal

asi bint AbT Bukr sid: ‘My mother came to me while she wee px
an idolarer, when the Messenger of Allah 4 made the covenant with
Queaysh [meaning the Truce of Hudaybiyya]. Aba Bakr had divorced
per in the days of the pagan ignorance. She brought me a gift, so I sent a
message co the Messenger of Allah &, asking hinm: “My mother has come
waane wth a desire ro see me. Should [let her in my house?”
a eply: "Yes, lec your mother in and keep your tie with he

iA ean came t0 the Prophet & to ask permission to join che armed
ccruggle. ‘Are your parents alive”, the Messenger of allah % asked Ines
He said that they were. ‘Go and ask their permission, then’ he cad, nf
they give you leave, then fight; ifnor, then have reverence for them:*™ He
also commanded sons to have love for those with whom their father:
were friends, because this is part of being loyal to one’s father

‘Arman came to the Prophet & and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, 1 have
wealth anda child, and my father needs my wealth? He replied: You wn
your wealth belong to your father. Your children are one of your fncat
acquisitions, so you may partake of what they acquire?"

Another manifestation of his $ loyalty was the loyal
his wife Khadija, of whom he would speak fondly: our lay
sometimes hear this and become jealous, and once she said to him. "Wes
she enything but an old woman, in whose stead Allah has given you
something better?’ He became angry, and said: ‘No, by Allah, Allah
did not give me something better in her stead. She believed in me when
the people dtbelieved; and she trusted me when the people belied re
and she shared her wealth with me when the people refused me; and

" we would hope that he
of all wards. Upon this,

8” This is the greatest

He sent me

and

An ancient king of the Arabs famed far his generosity []
bo Hisham,

Tho Majah, al-Tabarini,

149

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

» by her, and by no other woman."
Wher s gift was brought 10 hi &, he would say: “Take it 9 so-and.
als house, for she was a friend to Khadip, and she loved Khadija ang

hirer sheep and give them to Khadija friend

sometimes he would slaug! ‘ pee
Once Khadija sister asked permission co sec him, and he gave her a warm

welcome, A woman once care to sce hiro, and he welcomed her heartily
vind asked after her warmly. Aficr she had gone, he said: ‘She used yg
ome to us when Khadija was still here; and to keep good relations ig

Allah gave me aso

part of religio

Another manifestation of his & loyalty occurred when Halima a.
Sd iyya” came to se him after he married Khadija, asking him to help
her bear the burdens fate had brought her. He spoke to our lady Khadija,
and she gave Halima a camel and forty rams. She came to see him &
again alter the Battle of Hunaya, and when he saw her he said, “Welcome,
mother", and spread out his cloak for her to sit on.

He had another wet-nurse named Thuwayba, who nursed
days before he was given to the care of Halima, When he grew up and
came to learn of this, he sought to repay this favour she had done him,
and showed her kindness and generosity for as long, as he was in Mecca;
and even after he & emigrated to Medina, he still continued to keep
with her and buy clothes for her.

When his sister by suckling Shayma’ was brought forth among the
captives of Hawazin, and he recognised her, he spread out his cloak for
her to sit on and said, ‘If you wish, you may stay with me, honoured and
loved.’

He # would even command loyalty to animals in return for their
services and labour, Layla, the wife of Abi Dharr, came riding 2 she-
camel belonging to the Messenger of Allah # after the Batcle of Dha
Qasd, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I vowed to Allah that I would
slaughter her if Allah saved me on her back, and that I would cat of
her liver and her fat’ The Messenger of Allah 4 smiled and said: ‘How
poorly you reward her: after Allah carried you on her back, and saved you
by her means, you will chen slaughter her? A vow is not valid if its object
is a sin or something that does not belong to one. She is my camel, so
return her to her kin with the blessing of Allah’

* Al -Bukhari and Muslim, as welt as others with various versions.
2 The Prophet’ & wer-narse

150

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Chavacter

His & Perrect Patyencen

Ai saip: [Be then, patient, as the strong-
Messengers were patient; and hasten not for their 2

the patience ofthe Messenger of Allsh& forthe sae of ait

i peyond that of the most patient of people; and the forbear te
weg Bi che face ofthe persecution of his detractors wae ne ge
Peperance ofall sentient beings. How severe was the harsh, shone
forpnent he received from the impudent villains of Quray ca
tipre sno doubs that vile and obscene language deeply

phigh mocal rectitude, and affects them more than it does
Oi of persecution work upon thee souls much more than they de anon
Hose who have no morals or manners. If this is so, then what ates
Ue disposition of our master the Messenger of Allah, which ie she
epodimene ofall pefections and victues, and the source of them? hy
fe wuld receive all this with a tranguil heart, Yet what effecr do sen
imagine their offensive language and acts of persecution would have on
oe

ae Abmad and al-Tirmidhi narrate, on the authority of Anas 4

dhar the Messenger of Allah & said: ‘I have been threstened in Altar
fause as no other has been threatened; and I have been hurt in All's
Guise a5 no other has been hurc, and Ihave been visited by thirty people
ina single eight and day, and neither I nor Bilal had any food fora nevdy
person t0 eat, save something concealed under Bilat's armpit’ “

The idolaters would confront him f& with enmity, and all forms of
persecution, whether in hordes, groups, or individually; even their women
and childcen would be involved. Al-Tabarini narrated that al-Harith ibn
atHiith said: 'T said to my father: “What is this horde?” He replied
“They are people who have gathered against one of their own who has
left their way.” We went down, and there we found the Messenger of
Allah &, calling the people to the Oneness of Allzh a», and to faith: and
they were repelling him, and persecuting him, until midday arrived and
they dispersed from around him.’ A woman approached, her upper chest
inadvertently uncovered, carrying a vessel of water and a loth. He & took
them from her, and drank and made ablutions, and then raised his head
and sid: “Daughter, cover yourself, and worry not about your father” 1

led among the

pacts those
others; and

™ See also Our Master Muhammad te, Volum |, pp 226-231.

151

said: “Who is this?” They replied: “Ir is Zaynab, his daughter % ””

th is reported that Urwa ibn al-Zubayr said to ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Umar.
“What is the worst thing you saw Quraysh afflict the Messenger of All,
A with, of all che enmity they showed him? He replied: I was among
them when their nobles had gachered in the precinct, and said: “We have
never seen the like of what we have borne from this man: he has ridiculed
out aspirations, and insulted our forefathers, and criticised our religion,
and divided our faction, and slighted our gods! We have borne from him
a geave matcer indeed.”

‘wnilst they were in the midst of this, che Messenger of Allah g
appeared to them, and they fell upon him in unison, and surrounded
him, saying: “Are you the one who says such-and-such?”, mentioning the
criticism they had heard him speak against their gods and their religion,
The Messenger of Allah & said: “Yes, I am the one who says this.” saw
one of them take hold of his cloak . Abu Bakr stood between them,
saying: “Will you kill a man for saying My Lord is Allah?” Then chey lef
him be. That was the worst thing I saw Quraysh afflict the Messenger
of Allah 6 with’

Al-Bukhari and Muslim aarrate that Iba Mas‘id & said: ‘Once the
Messenger of Allah § was praying in the Sacred House (al-Buye ai-
Harari), and Aba Jahl and his companions were sitting there, Abi Jahl
had slaughtered a camel che day before, and he said to his companions:
“Which of you will take the intestines of the camel of the tribe of so-
and-so, and throw them onto Muhammad's back as he prostrates?” The
worst man of the lot, ‘Uqba ibn Abi Muay, went and took ic, and when
the Prophet & prostrated, he threw them onto his shoulders. They began
10 laugh, leaning upon one another.

‘[ was standing, there watching; if only I had che strength for ‘others
would have taken it off his back &. The Propher $ remained
in prostration, not rising, until someone went and told Fatima 4, who
came (and she was still a young girl at this time) and removed it from hien
&, and then confronted them and scolded them.

‘When the Prophet's & uncle Abi Talib died, the idolaters intensified
their persecution, and set upon him with all their severity. The Prophet

152

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Ch,
aracter

pececided 10 go to Taf, in the hope thar

elo
veto enmity beeween then
‘Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrate that ‘2?
osenger of Allah, #35 any day worse for yo
Hed repli ss encountered omy your peop!
worst that [ ever encountered from the ;
a [ presented myself to Ibn ‘Abd Yz tin Ais kel ine i
mmond co me as (hid hoped. le, my heed hanging west
waprot recover until had reached the Quen al That cen
trased TY hea and saw above mea cloud tac was Rie merck
Teoked, and saw that within it was Fibril 6,
nis ‘Almighty has heard the words of your as os
vive rejected you; and He has sent to you the angel of
whom you may command to do with them as you like.’ The angel of the
fountain called out tO me and greeted me, and said: ‘O Mularemaa
jah Almighty has heard the words of your people to you, and Lane ane
angel ofthe mountain, whom He has sent to you, that you command ine
Tabarini’s narration adds as you will Ifyou desire till cane vie
[Aklishabayn"® to rumble down upon then!" He sais "Nay, for Thane

hope that from their progeny will come forth those who
tod associate nothing with Him.” a

‘Abi Nlaym narrated in al-Dalail that ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr si
Talib died, and the severity ofthe persecution of the Messenger of Allah
increased, so he set out to Thagjf, hoping they would give him shelter,
aad support him, He found three men from the leaders of Thacf, the
brothers ‘Abd Yalil bn ‘Amr, Khubayb ibn ‘Amr, and Mac ibn ‘Amit
‘The Prophet fA opened himself to them, and told them of his troubles,
and of what his people had done to him. One of them sa :
you with anything, I will steal the hangings from the Ka
said: “By Allab, 1 will never speak another word to you again after this
meeting! For, if you are a messenger from Allah, you are far too noble that

“O
uw than the day of Ubud?”

le what [ encountered; and

saying:
and how they

he mountain,

® — Asmall mountain one day-and-night’s journey from Mecca.
%© The wo mouncams of Mecca, Abu Oabis and Quiqa'an.

153

MUHAMMAD THE PERFECT MAN

the likes of me should speak to you!” The third one said: *C,
find none to send but you2” They made what he had sai
to all the people Thagif, who then gathered to ridicule
of Allah Je, and sat before him in two rows either side

ould All

to them ee,
the Messenger
of the path he

they pelted it with stones,
left the two rows behind, his fect streaming with blood, the P,
made for a vineyard of theirs, and sought the shade of one of
He sat at its root, sorrowful and in pain, his feet bleeding”
The narrations of Ibn Ishaq and al-fabarani mention that ‘Abdallah
ibn Jifar § said: ‘When Abu Talib died, the Prophet & went on foot q,
Tif, and called them co Islam; bus they did not answer his call, « hy
the shade of a vine, and prayed two cycles of prayer, then saids-q
unto You T complain of may weakness, and my helplessness, and my
Jowliness before the people. © Most Merciful of the merciful! You are the
Most Merciful of the merciful, and You are the Lord of the Oppressed,
‘To whom do you entrust me? To a distant enemy, who despises me? Or tg
4 near one, to whom You have given power over me? If You are not angry
with me, I care nor, but Your protection would be for me the broader
way! I seek refuge in the light of Your noble countenance, by which the
heavens and the earth are lit, and the darkness is illuminated, and the
affairs of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest Your anger
descend upon me, or Your wrath beset me! Yet it is Yours to reproach
until You are well pleased; and there is no power and no might except
through You.”

Topher

the vines

154

Part Three: The Perfection of iis Magnificent Character

His & Perrecr Ascericism

People; all you need co
: was a matter of choice,

pane his many conquests and the wealth that was troniht
mpim, he completely turned away from the life of this world, He slepr

caraw mats which left visible marks on his blessed side, and whey they

ofiered ro give him a soft mat to sleep on, he sid: Whar have Ivo do wah
? My place in this world is hut as that of a wayfarer who travel

7 hot day, naps under a tree, and then leaves it behind him’™

allah offered him gold enough co fill the hollow of Mecca, bur he rs

said: ‘No, Lord; rather I will go hungry one day and eat my fll another;

sahen [eat my fil, Twill praise You and give thanks co You; and when {

hungry, I will seck Your aid and call upon you.

Bie & would always be happy with the least amount of worldly

sustenance, and would say:O Allah, make the provision of Muhammad

fimily (no more than] what meets their bare necds’™»

‘ur lady ‘Aisha said: “The Messenger of Allah & never had a dinner
tage enough 0 last uncil supper, nora supper large enough to last until
che aext dinner; and he never tock two of anything: rot ewo shies, nor
wo clocks, nor two loincloths, nor two pairs of shoes.»

‘He f would never hoard things for himself: all the reports which state
that be stored things mean that he stored them for his family. He 4 and
bis family never ate their fll of wheat bread three days in a row until he
lef chis world.” He i never are bread made from sifted flour from the
day Allah seat hima until he passed away.

A month or two months would pass without a fire being lit in his f&
house, during which times only dates and water would be consumed,
Once Fatima took him a piece of bread. “What's this, Fatima”, he said. ‘i
is loaf! baked’, she replied, ‘and I could not fel at ease until I brought
ito you. The Propher 4 said: ‘Iadeed, it is the first food to enter your

He PROPHET f was the most ascetic of
[do co see this is eflect that his poverty

8 Aba
“ AMTirmidhi, Ahmad,
Muslim,

6 ALMagrizi
Muslim, Abmad.
“Abend,

155,

father's mouth for three days

{At the cime of his #& passing, his shield was being held in mortgage
ty a Jew for thirty 33° of barley, which he had taken to feed his family =

Jabir said: ‘When digging the trench, the Messenger of Allah and hig
Companions went three days without tasting any food. “O Messenger of
Allah,” they said, “there is a large boulder here, from the mountain.” The
Messenger of Allah told them to sprinkle it with water .
that the Messenger of Allah § had tied a stone to his belly.

Our lady isha said: ‘The Messenger of Allah $ never once ate his fj
of two kinds of food in the same day. If he ate his fill of dates, he would
not eat his fill of barley; and if he ate his fill of barley, he would not eat
his fill of dates."

“Utba ibn Ghazwan said: T once found myself in a group of seven, along
with the Messenger of Allah f, and we had no food but acacia leaves,
which we ate until our mouths were covered in sores."

Our Indy ‘isha said: “The Messenger of Allah @& died having never
earen his fill of bread and oil twice in one day.”

‘Anas said: ‘I do not think that the Messenger of Allah % ever saw a
piece of fine fat bread until he met with Allah 2, nor ever saw a simit
lamb with his own eyes, until he met Allah te.’ (A samig
whose wool is removed with boiling water and then roasted in its skin)

id T noticed

4 Ab Buyhagi, a-Tubarini.
‘A measurement roughly equivalent to 2 litres.
«

156

part Three: The Perfection of His Mag

‘ent Character

His & Perrect Forciveness

jo FORGIVE, when one has che power co punish is like a mirror j
which the finest image of the soul, and the lofies: oo it

. f pu
rd, The Holy Qur'an imparted this nob erie ple
wae said: ‘Hold to forgiveness, and enjoin mae bates Prope
om te ignorant (7:99). He J manifested this quay in he wen
eels, and encouraged others to adope it as wel. Ie io en
be deale wich the people of Mecca and Tif, che champions of mischief
and evil, when he entered Mecea as a victorious Conqueror: his forgiveness
Bbeaed the entire city, inchuding the chefiins end leaden ena
aransgressed in the land and gone to extremes in hurting him and
persecuting Bil.

“the Messenger of Allah & entered Mecca, but ‘Tkrima ibm Abi
gafwn be Uayya and Suhayl tn ‘Amn vere determined thu dong
Fath those chey had managed to gather wich them. ‘They were es
and pc 10 ght. Yer they then soughe secusty from the Propher
and ic was granted to thems and indeed, they were not only prdoncd
pur also given some of the spoils of Hawazin, tha their hears igh be
reconciled.

Consider Safwan ibn Umayya ~ the enemy, son of che enemy ~ who
fed to Jeddah with the intention of making his way to Yernen by sex
‘mar ibn Wahb went to the Messenger of Allah f and sid: ‘0 Propher
ot Aah, Safwan ibn Umayya, che leader of his people, has Red fom you
and intends to leave by sea The Prophet § ensured his safe saying
‘He shall be left alone. ‘Umayr said: “O Messenger of Allah, give me a
soken that he will recognise is fom you. The Messenger & gave him
the turban he had worn when entering Mecca, ‘Umayr took it and found
Safwan just as he was about co embark, and said: ‘Safwin, my parents
be your ransom! Beware of casting yourself into ruin! This is a token
of sfery from the Messenger of Allah, which I have brought to you.
Safwan suid, ‘I fear that he means me harm. ‘Umayr replied ‘Nay, he is
awre forbearing and noble than that! They went back together to the
Messenger of Allah &. Safwan said to him: ‘This man claims that you
have assured my safety. He § said: ‘He speaks the truth Safwan asked
fat two month’s respite to make a decision, ‘You shall have four month's
respite, stid the Prophet #.

Jahl,

157

Another man came to him J shortly before the Conquest, a man whose
lampooning and persecution of the Messenger & had known no hounds:
‘Abu Suiyan ibn al-Hlarith ibn ‘Abd al-Murtalib. He asked permission ie
see the Propher fe, but the Prophet said: ‘have no need to see him, when
he has brought dishonour upon me.’ Now Abi Sufyan had a young son of
his with him, and he said: ‘By Allah, either he shall see me oF 1 will take
my son by the hand and go out into the desert until we die of
hunger’ When the Messenger of Allah && heard this, his heart softened
and he agreed to see him, and forgave him. Upon this, Abu Sufyan said:

By your life, on the day I held a banner
For the victory of al-Lar’s knights over Muhammad's,
Twas like 2 traveller, lost on a dark nigh
But now I have been guided, and I follow this guidance!"

‘And in Mecca, as the Prophet § circled the Ka’ba, Fudala ibn ‘Umayr
intended to assassinate him. As he approached, the Prophet $ said: Is
that Fudala2’ ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah’, he replied. The Prophet f
said: “Whar is it thi Fudala, ‘I am
put invoking Allah aie’ The Prophet f smiled, and said: ‘Ask forgiveness
of Allah!’ He then placed his hand on Fudala’s chest, and peace entered
his heart. Fudala would later say: ‘By Allah, by the time he raised it there
was nothing of Allah’s creation more beloved to me than him."

Once the people had settled down after the Conquest, the Messenger
of Allah #& stood by the door of the Kalba and ‘There is no god
bur Allah, alone without partner. He has fulfilled His promise,
His slave, and routed the clans, He alone, Every claim of
or wealth is, as of now, beneath my cwo fect, save for the custo
of the House and the watering of the pilgrims, O men of Quraysh!
‘Allah has relieved you of the conceit of pagan ignorance, and its pride
in ancestry. All people are from Adam, and Adam is from dustt” He 4

He was a pace who had composed sarlrical verses against the Prophet &.
Tha Hisham
98 dba Hisham,

158

part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Cha
racter

:“O mankind! We have created

‘nations and tribes, that you may know

rr pcg it fla tae satan fog rte nob
"O men of Quraysh! Whar do you think | shall do wi ees the

? They

tfc chink well: a noble brother a
Bi for you are free’ ind the son of a noble brother? He
+ eter also that he & had the whole was
jg delegation had come to Medina ey ale Spec whes
thet ned by the Muslims. What did he do to thei wien
went pan such as Abd Yall iba ‘Ame ibn 'Umays, wha had eon se
merpkee fe from TWif? (As forthe other, Malik ibm ‘Av, the fy ne
Pe ready forgiven hima and returned to him his possessions and chediecS
‘The Messenger g returned their prisoner, buying him for ae rk
he and bis Companions incurred, and turning him over to hi et
mies, who had almost put an end to Islam atthe Bare of Fawn
"another example of his # forbearance was that a rabby of sha
med Zayd ibn Sa'na studied the attributes of roy seas aa
signs in the Messenger of Allah &, yet found shor thon

were sil (0 signs that needed testing, ‘The first was by finan
wf aaarip bit wratb, and the second was sere mimean eet
rave bi forbearance. Zayd would keep the company of the Mescssee
Allah & often, and attempt to test him. One day, a Bedouin eel :
Messenger of Allah & to complain about the diffcult living erainsoe
zeevain village. Zayd listened to this, and then said to the Meee t
Alls ‘I will buy some dates from you’, and took out eighty dinars « s
gave them 0 the Prophet 4, who gave them to the man. The ne
that on 2 certain day, the delivery would be met. but Pad ese
Zayd himself tells the eale: be eae th
“Jappreached the Prophet J and yanked hi i
af bc shoulders, Then | scowled at him and at wile a ome
shacis mine, Muharamad; for by Allah, you sons of ‘Abd “Mur
procrastinators, and T have spent enough time around you to keow, i!”
‘Umar hecame enraged and said, “E, MDs you say hdc
X e “Enemy of Allah! Do you say this to the
lessenger of Allah? By Him wh ‘i 4

: y ho sent him with the cruth, were [ not
ast what would be lost, I would have your head!” The Messenger of
er ‘a ioe at ‘Umar and smiled at his words, and then said: “Both |

need something other than this: that you encourage me to repay

you male and female, and made

159

Map @ THE PERFECT MAN

MUHAM

warage him to ask properly. Go, ‘Umar, ,
ther ewenty sf of dates £0 make up fy i.

soul found peace and oo oe that he had fa
Jing for. ‘Umar took him to repay his
aan ea Den rm D4 Ky
i asked who he was. ‘Tam Zayd ibn Sana’, he said. “The rabbiz, ale
. guid Zayd. “Why, theny said ‘Umar, ‘did you beha
Ihe Messenger of Allah #, and say what you adc
“T wanted 0 rest his & forgiveness. a
ample of his & perfect forgiveness is found in the
ie al was with the Prophet #, who was wearing a igh
hemmed cloak, when a Bedouin came along and pulled the cloak fierce,
so that it left a mark on his & blessed neck. The Bedouin then said: “9
Muhammad, load these ovo camels of mine with some of the wealth
of Allab’s thar vou have with you: for you wi | certainly not load them
with your own wealth, or your father's wealth!” The Prophet was silene
for aemoment, and then said: “The wealth js Allah’, and T am His save.
Ma ranbution in kind shall be exacted for what you did to me." *No
ic chall not" said che Bedouin. “And why is that?", asked che Propher
{&. "Because’, said the Bedouin, “you do not rerurn one all deed
another” The Propher 4 laughed, then commanded that one of the
van’, eamels be loaded with barley, and che other with dates.
vac the Battle of Bade, Safwin ibn Umaya lost his father and his brother,
and Wahb, the son of Umayr ibn Wahb, was captured. Safwan and his
cousin ‘Umayr therefore agreed, at the Hije in the Sacred House, to
esassinate the Messenger of Allah #, on condition that Safwin assume
Al his debes and support his children if he were killed. ‘Umayr asked
Safwan to keep their conversation secret, in case the plan were revealed
and news of it spread to Medina. Safwan had a sword polished and then
smeared it with poison and gave it to ‘Umayr, who set off for Medina to
fulfil his mission. He dismounted by the door to the mosque and tied
up his horse, then took up his sword and made for the Messenger of
Allah , who was inside. Upon his entry, the Messenger of Allah # said:
“What has brought you, ‘Umayr?" He replied, T have come to claim back

und

this way towards
him?” He answered:

8 Altfakim, -Baybagy be Hibbs.
a ALS

160

pare Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Ch
aracter

sen] from you! The Prophet & suds “Ti

toy oan inthe FU "Umaye as ncn a ea did yo
i jeon did 1 5k of him The Propet & answer qn ney he
sige ou ade it 28e C0 take upon himvelfthe eee
st pousthol. Ye: Allah his come between you snd
ote heat witness that you are che Mesenger of All
ait “poken secretly between me and Safwan inthe ln ug
vet di beud them ~ yet Allah inforied you of Telecine

His Messenger ™ This shows how forgiving he was, pus 3 ae cas
iota , even to those who

When the Prophet # went to Hunaya, on
artihman ibn ABC Talla, whos ther had beeen Sa
i hud. Shayba said 'T thought that T would go slong wth eae
wre opportunity to kill Muhammad, and thus enact revenge feral
tirysh’ Shayba used to say that even ifall the Avabs ancanaa
Faowed Muhammad & he would not ees

Shayba continued: ‘T was waiting for a chanc
kept elng bolder and bolder athe tine dee eae
thence when the Muslims became divided from the Messenser of aint
f. Trew ny sword and crept right up to him, and raised vars
qd as nas about to bring it down upon him a tongue of fame inet
opie lighting, and {covered my eyes in fear tha would be blinded”

(dba i's tarration has it: T approached the Messenger of Allah jp
ay yet something appeared and covered my heart, so that I sem
sat)

He sid: "The Messenger of Allsh then called me, saying: *Shayba
come ro me.” I went, and he placed his hand on my chest and said "©
Allah, protect him from Satan.” By Allah, at thar moment he bea
more beloved to me than my very hearing, my sight and my life and
Allah rook the hatred out of me. He & then said: “Come and fight I
stood before him and fought with my sword; and Allah knows chat 1
would have loved to protect him with my own life; even had 1 met
her then, were he alive, he would have fallen under my sword"™”

ies
Urayr
lah! Those words

Shu Hishim,
* Ab Nudaye

161

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

His & PERFECT JUSTICE

STICk MEANS fo give people their rights without prejudice, ang
Jee pevple co task for their wrongs without favouritism or big,”
‘The Prophet $ was endowed with justice that was rooted in divin

i and from his youngest days, eae
s natural disposition to be just. He took part in a covenant made by
Quraysh to combat injustice and stand up for the oppressed, known
ance of the Vircuous’ (Hilf al-Fudil). He & later said of this pace
1 witnessed, in the house of Abdallah ibn Jud'an, a pact so excellent the,
T would nor exchange my t for a herd of red camels; and if now
in Islam, | were called to it, I would gladly respond. ,

He f would maintain justice and apply it ro his oven family, without
giving consideration to social standing or ties of kin. When some ten of
the Flelpers wanted to forgo their claim to the ransom of al‘Abbis, the
Mescenger of Allah's & uncle," the Prophet & did not approve of thc and
said: ‘You shall no remic even a single dicham of it’ He did allow his
daughter Zaynab’s husband to be set fee without ransom, however, only
because he was clearly too poor to ransom himself— be well aware of this
"ALAbbas, on the other hand, was known to be rich, so the Prophet & did
wot free him until he had paid his own ransom and the ransoms of those
relatives of his who had been captured alongside him. Since the Prophet’
& forgiveness enveloped all humanity, it is not surprising that his own son-
in-law was also included in this forgiveness, just like anyone else.

His & justice was also manifested when he rebuked a man of the
Helpers for his mistreatment of his camel, saying: ‘Fear Allah in how
you treat this beast; for he complained to me that you underfeed him
and overwork him! He also commanded that two chicks be recurned
to their mother, who had become frantic at their loss. In chese things
is clearly manifested the spirit of the Prophet J in combating injustice,
even for birds and beasts.

‘Another instance where his & perfect justice was manifested was
the occasion when Quraysh were concerned about the woman of the
Makhzim clan who bad stolen, Seeing that no one else would dare do

%) Who had been captured at the Battle of Bade, having not yet publicly embraced Islam

162

oy they asked Usama ibn Zayd 4, who was bel
rn sf plead the woman’ case vo the Me
Usima did so, but the Propher g feplied:
oc ofthe brunds st by Allh Almighty?
fe, saying; “The people who came
Seog ot Wee ne
beri weac folk stole, chen would punish him, By ALE ae
ote aoghter of Muhammad stole, T would amputwe he horn
"another manifestation of his & justice was the pects he
vas dividing some wealth, a man came to him and rudely de aoe
Sure oft As che Prophet & was warding him off he send oes 2
seh wasn is and and et his fice. trmeiatly he ei ane
ourself” ‘Nay,’ said the i Svea
ae y 4 man, ‘I forgive you, O Messenger of
"Another occasion when his & justice w, i
Heseenger of Allah on the day of Hunayn, I as wearin’ heres
and trod on his foot with them, He wafied the lash he wes ney
ny direction, and said “In the Name of Allah, you hurt me" Tavs}
flowing night rebuking myself, and saying “You hurt the Meee
of Allah”; and only Allah knows the night I spent. Tn the monee
woan came looking for me, and I said to myself, “This, by Alka
sepercussion of what occurred yesterday I went with hime sorchceane
But wheo I came to the Prophet J, he said to me “You trod on my fon
yesterday and hurt me, and 1 wafied my lash at you; so here are cighte
sheep for you to take.”™ ; be
Another manifestation of his justice occurred in his final illness,
when he ascended the pulpit and said: ‘O peopl! If there is anv of vou
whose back I scourged, then here is my back, that he may requite himself
on it. And if there is any of you whose wealth I took, then here ic am
wath, that he may requice himself from it. And if ehere is any of you

loved to the Me
ssen|
SSEET of Allah al
0 You intercede
He then stood and addeces

“ AbBukhar "
“ AbNasai, Aba Dawad.
Ibe tohiig.

163

MURAMMAD g& THE PERFECT MAN

is my honour, that he may requng
whose honour rev ee et ‘hi the Messenger of Allah will
himself on it. beorte it is not my nature, nor my way, to bear Brudges,
bear me a ae ou I love the most is he who would claim from me
Indeed, the ai ke or pardon me, that { may meet Allah with a cleag
SEE" A wan pod upland sid /O'Meseager of Al You owe
ees ceplied: We do not belie anyone, nor ask hes
me three dil ea@iciuatie) ie you this?” He said: ‘Remember, one,
to swear; yet hoy assed you by, and you told me to give him something’
Forecast, Ol ng hs pe sy
€ ;
of al Abbiis.*”

day

“Abit Yala, a-Tubarioi.

164

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Character

His & Perrectr Humiurry

ICALLY, RUMILITY means to lower and humble oneself
Praventionally, iC means to forgo the Concomitants of one’s social
er pride, and to assume a lower position

rus 2

than one’s equals; and
sa ise of true insight, it means for a Person to sec himself as having
ir ah worth, or distinction, and to deem that he has been given more
mee deserves.

thee Zayl & seid: ‘As long as the servant

‘Abi

[oF Allah} thinks chat there
than him, he is guilty of pride’
y humble?” He answered: "When
his own words or states’ Ibn ‘Ati’
Man is not the one who, when
ove his action; rather the humble
S himself, sees himself as beneath

f man face more
is anyone ee ‘So when is he trul
sencone® pay any heed whatsoever to
te ee ese the Hikam: “The humble
ee euki binsdlvecs bined ssa
* yhen he humble
man i the ‘one who, w}
os, Rahility 5: sine Ci Baad by
Fi agilcence; {iad thie tcuctougal ‘A
Frlesiaee el occasioned by
The first kind of humility is the o:
it, displacing its egotism and uproar:
desire for power, so chat it canner ¢
sfdelusion. The second kind of hu
the ladder of viecue. Our Prophet #& is the
perfect and ample model of humi
One example of his # humility: Umar ibn al
the Messenger of Allah & said: ‘Do not laud me as the Christians lauded
fe Son of Marys Tam bur a slave, so say: Allah slave and messenger?
His & words ‘do not laud me’ meant: Do nor exaggerate in praising
ane by saying something that is not true, as the Christians exaggerated
inpraising our master ‘Tsa by making him a god and a ‘son of God’, they
did so because they were blind to the indications and evidences of his
contingent nature. His #& words ‘I am but a slave, so say: Allah’ slave
and messenger’ (in another narration ‘I am but Allah's slave?) mean: |
sm bata slave and messenger (this is why he said ‘so say: Allah's slave

and messenger’); now this is an allusion to Ailah’s words ‘Say: Iam but

a direct Witnessing of the
which cannot he displaced.
the flaws a person secs in himself
ne that quells the soul and melts
ing from it the tree of pride and
hereafter be taken by artogance or

'y Causes the servant to ascend
master of the humble, and the

Khatib & relates that

* Abpukhaci.

165

1 revealed to me...’ {I8:110}. Yet the fact that he jy
‘Allah's slave and messenger docs nor mean thar others are equal iy him
in savehood to Allah, which means to bear witness (0 His Lordship ang
ever be heedless of it; fr he # is the most perfect of all beings in ihig
quality, which self isthe heart of human perfection,

‘Another example of his humility: Anas ibn Malik & related that
woman came to the Prophet & and said to him: ‘T have a need of you’
“sit in any street of Medina you wish, and I will come
ch yous" Muslims narration adds: ‘So he spent some time in
private with her on 2 certain street, until her need had been met. Anas
added that the Prophet # spent time in private with her, away from the
tyes of the others who had heen with him; this was so that no one else
‘would bear her complaint, neither her companions nor his $. Al-Bukhiri
narrates that a slive-girl would come and take && his hand, and lead him
to wherever she needed bim. This is a clear sign of his perfect hum
"Al-Nasi’ also narrates that he & would not disdain to walk with widows

a buman like you; i

and the poor, and meet their needs,
"Another manifestation of his $ humility was that Allah gave him the

choice whether to be a propher-slave or a prophet-king, and he chose
Slavehood in his humility before Allah. This is affirmed in the badith of
‘Aba Hurayra, 4s follows: ibril sat with che Prophet 4 and looked to the
sky, and an angel appeared and descended, Jibril said: “Thar angel has noe
descended before, ever since he was created.’ When he had come down,
he said: ‘O Muhammad, your Lord has sent me to you: shall I make you
2 king, ofa slave and a messenger” Jibril said to him: ‘Humble yourself
before your Lord, O Muhammad! The Prophet & said: ‘Nay, make me a
slave and a messenger.”

‘Another example of his $& humility: Anas ibn Malik § is reported
to have said: “The Messenger of Allah # would visit the sick, attend
funerals, ride donkeys, and answer the invitations of slaves. On the day
of Band Qurayza, he rode a donkey with a halter of palm fibres, and a

3 AbTurmidit.
™ the Hibbin

166

Mie woukd come fear 10 ill people and sit :
saying ‘How are you feeling? He ie Ce ask after
m:

her

fat 1 Shall be 2 c7use of your purification, by Allah's | Worry

vometimes piace his hand on the area of pain and « en ee
Name

SS from every illness thar harms you, may Allah ce

“pe Tabari relates in his Mukkeasar al re you.

i ira thar the
suretack donkey to Qubi’ along with Abi Hurayea, The ooh sides
sa

| bear you.’ ‘As you wish, O Messenger :
peo bur could not. The Messenger Mh * ns et a
pur chey both fell off. The Prophet $ mounted again and t ob a
Piao he did, and chey both fell of again, The Proper ese
tid ieto him again, but Abi Hurayra said: ‘By Him why contin
“re eruth, I shall nor throw you offathied time” OY A
‘Another example of his $ humility: Anas
se tegedate ol Alla ip pertotied ke cen feed ch
nol, worn-out saddle, upon which was a cloth worth lese tha te
dirhams, saying: O Allah, make it a pilgrimage free of ostemation sed
rants” Using such a saddle and such a cloth is an extremely hombl
say of performing the pilgrimage; for the pilgrimage should be a tine of
deachment and asceticism, His words O Allah, make it pilgrimage free
ofastentation and vanity’ mean a pilgrimage that is sincerely devered ¢
Allah and meanc to seek His pleasure alone, such that the people do nex
see it or hear about it, or speak words of admiration or pate shout
or hud i in their hearts. This was a supplication, and this supplic ei
showed the extent of his humility, and his counting himself as just one
ofthe people; For ostentation and vanity cannot affict one who is divinely
protected from sin. On the contrary, they aflict those who make the
pilgrimage on expensive vehicles, wearing fancy clothes.
Another example of his & humility: Anas ibn Malik & said: ‘No

ALTirmid!
AbTirraidl

167

MUWAMMAD fh THE PERFECT MAN

cone was more beloved ro the people than the Messenger of Allah g.
When they saw him, chey would not stund up, because they knew hoy
he disliked that! This was due to his perfect humility and his amiah
way of being with chem, 50 that they preferred his will to their ou:
‘The reason he did nor like them to stand for him was that he leved
be humble in acknowledgement of the Lord's favours, and to show thar
only the Lord of the worlds should be stood for. This does not mean i
is wrong 10 stand for pcople of virtue, though, since it is also related that
the Companions did indeed stand for the Messenger of Allah . Thig
hadith has been explained as meaning that if they saw him @ from afar
and he was not coming towards them, they would not stand for hims op
that if he repeatedly went out and came back to them in one gathering
they would not stand every time, This does not deny that they would
stand for him when he came to them the first time, and that when he
left them [at the end of the gathering} they would stand for him again,

Another example of his & humility: Anas ibn Malik relates that the
Messenger of Allah & said: “Were che gift of a trotter (kira) offered to
me, I would accepr; and were I invited to [eat] it, 1 would accept. The
word kurd' here means the trotter of an animal, or the thin part of the

Another example of his §& humility: Aisha & said: ‘He & was a human
being, of the human race: he darned his clothes, and milked his goats,
and served himself" Another narration has it: “He stitched his clothes,
and mended his shoes.” Another narration has it: “He patched his clothes,
and did ail the work that men do in their homes.’ Another narration
adds: ‘He would do housework, especially sewing.’ That is, he would do
the same kind of housework that most people do, out of humility, and to
guide others to humility. He would not disdain to do ordinary labour, as
kings do. By saying this, she rebutted the false doctrine she had moticed
the unbelievers held, namely thar it is nor firing for a prapher to do the
things that ordinary people do. ‘Aisha listed some of the tasks he would
perform, saying:

"He would darn (yafit) his clothes that is, he would inspect them to take
our things like thorns, or patch holes in chem, and che like; it does not
mean, as some have imagined, that he would search them for lice, since

Trmidhi, (be Hibban,

168

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Cha
acter

(ath bugs. He would aso
own water for abluri
them;
stitch them and mend any tears in them,

s,

5 and ‘mend his shoes

“
Tabat relates in Mukbtasar al-Sira 1

that once
instructed his Companions ¢o on a journey the
pop One man offered a skin apts = it Mad ces
sept sa: ball ich che fewood’ They sat weit tt he
Allah, we will sake care of everything” He : “O Messenger of
ate co be distinguished fram the ret of
fig dive 10 see himself as distinguished from his

replied: T know that you wi

u; and Allah hates for
companions.

store is better and mee enduring. He £ did not
fy him, or laud him as the Christians laude
also pay attention to people in need, listen to them and atts le sai
tends, even ifthe person in need vasa slave ot woman, Heke in se
seats of those in need, and did not publicise them or spread ae
te would take therm to places where others could not heer thei wnat
He would also keep his situation secret from his Companions ad
complain ro them; he even mortgaged his shield to arene et
thirty sa of barley to feed his family, as we saw earlier,

Want his Companions to

a Jewish man for

169

MUHAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

Tne Perrect ForM oF
His 3 GENERAL MANNERS

He Propiet # would use his right hand for eating, washing,
T ggving and taking, and his left hand for cleaning after answering
call of nature and all other unpleasant tasks. When he sneezed, he would
cover his face and stifle the sneeze with his clothing. When he sit, he
would sometimes draw his knees up and wrap his arms around them,
and would sometimes recline on his left side. He would sometimes |
down in the mosque, putting one foo on the other. When he walked,
he would tread powerfully and firmly as though descending a hill, Aba
Hurayra said: ‘I was wich the Messenger of Allah $ at a funeral once
When L walked, he would ourpace me, and if I jogged I would outpace
him." He also said: ‘T never saw anyone walk faster than the Messenger
of Allah ic was as though the ground were being folded up for him,
We would exert ourselves [to keep up with him], though he did not seem
to be making any effort at al

He & liked optimistic speech, and when he went out to fulfil some need
be would delight in hearing ‘O guided one, © successful one!” Someone
once said something that pleased him, and he said to them: “We have
received a good omen from your mouth'"” When somerhing pleased him,
his face would light up like the moon; and when he angered, his face
would redden; and when he disliked something, it would be clear from
his face, When he was concerned about something, he would stroke his
beard much.

He disliked unpleasant names, and would change them for becter ones
A woman named ‘Asiya (Disobedient’) once came to him, and he changed
her narne to Jamila (‘Beautiful’). Many Companions had the name ‘A
(Disobedient), so the Propher & changed their names to ‘Abdallih
(Servant of Allah’).

The Messenger of Allah # would swear an oath by saying: ‘Nay, by
Him who changes hearts’, or ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul’, or ‘Nay,
and I ask Allah’s forgiveness!

% Abmad.
% AteTirmidhi, Abad.
aba Dawud

170

fa gatheri ,
1 the conclusion of a gathering with his Com
Urry be to You, Allah, and prise be ea Yon, Pn
js n0 god but You. 1 ask Your forgiveness, and tun ness thar
* Of this, he said: 'This is an ex, ‘1 ie repentance
re) a lation for all thar took pla
the ee wear wool pal-fby eis
jg would wear wool, palm-Fibre shoes, and
Hi pee bai’. Anas suds We asked ahilian when ene: a
coutse barley, which he could only swallow with « dr m he
aught of

he would

When he f wanted (0 Wear 2 new iem of clothing, he would
cg riday and sty 28 be put ton: ‘Allah praise be vo Vou forceps
wich it. 135k you for the goodness in it, and the godess in wha ea
wije for, and I seek refuge with you from the ev
what it WaS aise for" ‘i
had a silver ring engraved with ‘My

a teamed Rasil Aah) Minden ha enatel
teyaré the Divine Name on the next. He wore ton his and acta
Abi Bakr wore it ater him, and chen ‘Umar, and hen ‘Uthat
taal he lost it in the well of Aris." Narratons dtr as to afer
wore iton the left or right hand, Stash

He & would sometimes use henna," and would Frequently wet his beard
and hair with water and comb them. Anas said: ‘When he & lay dev,

eps ght, he would set nexe to him his tooth-stick, water sod eculy
ind when he avvoke, he would clean his teth and coma he hips ee
would frequently apply oil to his head, and when he looked in the mirror
would say: ‘Praise be to Allah, who has beautified my appearance and
ay character, and made fine in me what is marred in others, Praise be
to Allah, who has balanced my appearance and made it sound, and has

it was
in it, and the evil in

firmidhi, Abit Dawid, Ahmad.
Takin
Abi Dawid, Ahmad,

‘On bis & hair and beard.
*. AbBayhaqi, al-Tabarini,

at

ennobled the appearance of my face and beautified it, and has made me
Muslim."

‘ HE would trim his beard, both in length and in width, and cur hig

moustache short. He loved perfume, and would say: ‘Beloved to me have

been made women and perfume, and my eye's delight has been placed

“us He would perfume himself with musk and ambergris, but

alocswood (‘id) was the perfume he loved the most, as ‘Aisha said.s

in prayer:

2% ALBayhaqi, al-Tabarisi,

Abad
Al-Baghawi.

MUHAMMAD

In

& PERFECT MAN

Part Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Character

His & ETIQuetre of Eatin

oops he & loved the most were pour tharit
ee bread), sweets and honey. The ee atin tos ve
syteg ad the meat from the back and shoulder. He alo loved wan
fed and vinegar, cucumber with ripe dates, clon with ripe due
umber with salt. Other foods he & ate included stews batien exch
cain seat, Kebabs, chicken, bustrd, palm cores, sh and spe
Je and kbabis a mixture of butcer, honey and four cooked ee
7d avoid foods with offensive sme
He sonally did not have a taste for, such a
a ere od nor praise i: Fhe liked ithe would
Teave it. Hle would not eat ch

re)
ke garlic, or things which

ard. He would neither
cat it, and otherwise he
ble donations, and never reclined

oti
would
hen he ate.

‘He would eat what was nearest to him, and sit on the floor and set his
jgod on the floor o eat it. When he had finished eating and the tray had
jeer caken away, he would say: Praise be to Allh: abundan, goody,
blessed praises [praise which is} never enough, nor brough: to an end,
tor superfluous to [our] need, Lord!" He would also says Praise be to
Albh, who feeds and is not fed; He blessed us by guiding us and giving ws
food and drink. Praise be to Allah, who feeds food, and gives drink, and
dlothes the naked, and guides the errant, and gives sight to the blind™

Fresh water would be brought to him from the outskirts of Medina,
He would prefer water chat had been left overnight to cool; it would be
cooled for him in an old leather jug, because this cooled it best.

He would drink out of a rough-hewn wooden jug inlaid with iron, and
another cup made of glass, from which he would also sometimes male
ablurions. He would also drink milk, sawig (a mash made from barley or
dates), and honey from it,

The drink he loved the most was milk. He would say upon drinking
it ‘Allah, bless us in it, and give us more of it" For everything else, he
would say: ‘Allah, bless u: and give us that which is better than it!”
He would sometimes mix milk with water, He would drink in three sips,
and praise Allah after finishing; sometimes he would praise Allah after

AbBulhari.
* ALHikin,
% AbTirmidhi, fbn Majah, al-Bayhagi.

173

every sip, and give thanks to Him after the last one. He would usually
fink while sitting, and would occasionally drink while standing, He
srould personally give his Companions to drink, and then be the lase of
them to drink, saying: “The one who gives drink co others, drinks last.
When he drank, he would pass the cup to his right. Once he was sitting
with a young boy at his right and the elders of the Companions on his
left. He was given a drink, and after drinkang said co the boy, ‘Will you
permit me to pass it to these others” The boy said: No, I cannot give my
share from you to anyone!”

He & would spend the evening conversing with the women of
household, speaking to them and listening to them before he slept,
Before sleeping, he would make ablurions and apply kohl to each eye
three times, He would fie down on his right side, and then say: ‘Allah,
to You | have surrendered myself, and to You I have turned my face, and
with You I have sought protection for my back, desiring You and fearing
You, There is no fortress nor refuge from You except with You. I believe
in Your Book, which You have revealed, and in Your Prophet, whom You
have sent."*! He said that anyone who says this and then dies in hi
dies in a stare of primordial perfection.” When he woke at midnight, or
shortly before it or after it, he would rub his face three times and recite
the last cen verses of surat Al Imran, and chen make ablutions and pray.

‘When he & slepr, only his eyes would sleep, and not his blessed heart,

He would perform cupping and advise others to do the same, saying:
“The best of your remedies is cupping.""’ He would also use henna as a
remedy: if he got a sore or a cut, he would pur henna on ic.

He would prefer to travel on Thursdays and Mondays, and when
setting our he would say: ‘Allah, You are the companion in travel, and the
protecting watcher over our homes. Allah, I seek refuge with You from
the trials of travel, the woes of what may be seen there, and the evil {that
may await] upon homecoming, Allah, shorten our travel across the land,

Abi Dawid.
*) Al-Bukhiti, Muslim.
* ALBukhasi.
* AbBukhari, Muslim,

174

past Three: The Perfection of His Magnificent Ch,
aracter

ke our journey easy for us.™
he mounted, he would say

at
whea
pe

we co weve he would sey "Task Ali

your safety and the goals of your labour. May Allah over your
a

jon,
wie forgive YOUr sins and send goede
¥

fourm wien
if he made camp by night, he would say o the pl i where you
“My Lord and your Lord is Allah, 1 seek refuge with Ar he was
evil and the evil ofall within you, and the evil of all ch Hah from
aa 1 seek siete ae ee ‘ie the evil of every lion, meee
corpion, and from the evil of every dweller in the ly » Serpent,
an every steal wht he sires. ‘he land and from the
He & would pray on the back of his mount as he travelled, but
sopercrogerory prayers and not ebligatory ones. When he returned fo i
sjourney, he would say: "We return, repentant and full of prise for oe
Lord” When he went to his family, he would say: I retutm, Lnetura ny
sur Lord zepentant, may no fault of ours remain! eo mn et
He would always return from journeys by day,
When he arrived, he would go to the mosque frst and offer cwo eyclee of
er there, and sit and receive the greetings of his Companions.
He would not recurn co his family by night unless they hed prior word
of his coming; and he % would forbid others from doing so,

at midmorning time,

Muslim.
Al-Tirmidhi.

‘Aba Diwad, al-Tirmidhi.
AbBukhiri, Muslim.
-AbBazsar, Abu Ya'la

sree

175

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

Part Four

Tue Perrection or His GLORIOUS Fears
AND Unique DisTINCTIONS

“And your Lord shall give unto you, and you shall be satisfied”
[5:93]

“a

176

VW

His #& PERFECTLY CLEAR
Distinctions AND Dazzuing
MIRACLES

A“ & singled out our master Muhammad $ with many grace
and miracles, of which we shall now briefly mention the most wel.
known and authentic. We have also described some of them in more
decail elsewhere in this book, but we wish co repeat them here so thas
they are all collected in one place.

Onc of ther is that he was the first prophet to be created, and was y
prophet when Adam was between spirit and body.”

Another is that Allah took a pledge from all the prophets — from Adam
onwards ~ that they would believe in him and succour him, Allah sas.
‘And when Allab took the pledge of che prophets: ‘Behold tac which I bave given
you of Book and Wisdom; then there shall come to you a messenger, confirming
what you possess: you shall believe in bim and you sball help him [3
Another is that glad tidings of his coming were given in the scriptures
revealed before him. Another is that his line of descent from Adam was
completely untainted by extramarital birth.

Others are thar when he was born, his mother saw emir from her a
light that illuminated the palaces of Syria; that 2 cloud would shade
him on hor days; that the shadow of a tree stretched out to him as
he approached it"; that his & blessed breast was opened; that Jibril

Al-Turmidh
Al-Bayhagi

Ahmad,

‘Abu Nu‘aye.
Al-Bayhaqi.
Muslim,

BeaeaE

him in his sieee three times at the onset of the Revelation;
ur'in spoke about the different parts of his body, sayin;

it Te heart al nat of whas tea? [Sell and These etal
pan 1 it down, upon your heart’ [26:193-194), and of his tongue: ‘Nor
vats Bo of caprice’ [53:3] and: ‘Now We have made it easy by your
ue 4:58), and of is sight: “The ght wavered nat, nor didi stay
Iga, and of bis fce: deed We hae seen the turning of your fue weno
ibe beavers [2:14], and of his hand and neck: ‘Keep not your hand chained
to your ne }, and of his back and breast: ‘Have We not expanded
vou bes fro, ad lified your burden from you, which so weighed down

” hack?” (94:1-3]; and that his name is derived from Allah’s name al-
Niaimitd (The Praised). Hassin sai

whelmed

He honoured him with a name from His name,
He of the Throne is Mabmid, and this is Mubammad.

Others are that he f& was named Abmad, no one before him ever having
this name®; that he would go to bed hungry and wake up fed, having
been fed and warered by his Lord**; that he could see behind him as well
ssin font of him*; thar he could see as well by the dark of night as by

1 of day"; that his saliva would turn salt water fresh; chat his J
voice carried further than other voices; that his hearing was more acute
than that of others; that his eyes would sleep, but not his heart; that
he never yawned"'; that he never had a nocturnal emission, and nor did

aay other prophet"; that his é sweat was more fragrant than musk";
and that if he walked next to a tall person, he would appear to be taller

“
»
o
cs

‘Muslim.

AL Bukhici, Muslim,
‘Muslim.

Al-Bayhagi.

‘Abo Nuaym,

Al-Bulchari,

tha Abi Shayba, a-Khaysibi.
ALTabarani

‘Abt Nuliym.

179

MUHANMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

than them."

Others are that the soothsayers lost their powers when he # was sent
and that the jinn could no longer listen for them; that the Burag war
saddled and bridled for him on the night of the Mi'raj, whilst every oches
prophet had ridden it bareback; that he & was taken from the Sacre
Mosque to the Aqsa Mosque, and then taken up into the heavens, where
Allah showed him His greatest signs; that he was protected during the
Mi'raj so that his sight neither wavered oor went astray; that all the
prophets (upon whom be blessings and peace) were brought forth, and he
& led them all in prayer and the angels as well; and that Allah showed
him Paradise and Hell; that he saw Allah Almighty; that He graced him
with both vision and speech, speaking to him in the highest communion
after having spoken to Mas4 on the mountain; and that angels went with
him f& wherever he went, walking behind him and fighting alongside
him at the Battles of Badr and Hunayn,

Another is that it is incumbent upon us to invoke blessings and peace
upon him J as Allah says: ‘Verily llab and His angels invoke blesings upon
the Propbet. O you who believe, invoke blesings upon bim and gretings of
peace’ [33:56].

Another is that he §& was given the Glorious Book though he was
unlettered, and did not read or write, and was never schooled. Anothe,
is that Allah protected the Book He sent to him, the Qur’an, from any
alteration or corruption, saying: ‘Falsehood comes not to it from before
it nor from bebind it; a revelation from One All-Wise, All-Praiseworthy
[41242], and: ‘fe is We who have sent down the Remembrance, and We are it
Guardians’ [14:9], guarding it from corruption, addition and subtraction
Were anyone to attempt to alter even a letecr or @ dot of it, the people of
this world would recognise him as a liar. Even if an imposing elder were
to change a letter of it, every child would say, ‘You have read it wrong,
Sheikh, it should be this’ This is not true of any other scripture, for
they have all been subject to scribal errors, corruptions, changes, and
other alterations, although the atheists, Jews and Christians have every
motivation for attempting to cosrupt it and diseredi
Others are that his # Book encompasses all that the other scriptures

contained; and that Allah made it easy for those who study it to memorise
it, having said: ‘Now We have made the Qur'in easy for Remembrance’

4 ALBayhagi,

180

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Fears

Young children can commit it to memory in the shortest of
when it comes to the other communities, not even one of th

es their scripture, never mind great throngs of then, =
are that che Qur'an was revealed in seven difiecent modes, eo
et eusiet for us; that it is a lasting sign that will endure as Jong
an world does; and that he & alone was given the yar al-Kursi, the
* Fal, the mashini, and the Seven Long Siras. The mufasl sara end
mnsiMracal-Nas, there isa difference of opinion as to where they begin,

“ough al-Nawawi declared che soundest view co be that they boon ear
vai ‘g-Hiujarat.* The mathant is strat al-Fatiba, and the Seven Lon

ee gre from al-Bagara to al-Anfal. e

Another is that he # was given the keys to the Radad‘n (stores); some
gay thatthe Ahasd’in are che stores of nourishment for the different species
fhe in the world, s0 that he apporions to each of them what they ech
‘Thos, all the provision of sustenance in the world is divinely-bestowed by
the band of Muhammad f, who holds the keys toi, Just ay Allsh alone
gosesses the keys t9 the unscen, so that no one knows it br He, He gure
po this noble messenger & the distinction of possessing the keys to che
aan, and He gave him also the compendium of speech,

Another is that be was sent to all mankind, Jabic and others relate
that the Prophet # said: ‘Each prophet was sent to his people atone,

< I was sent to the red and the black’ another version hes ic von}
people. Others were that he & was succoured by dread for a distance of
a month’s journey, that battle-spoils were permitted to him and to nove
before him, and thar che earth was made a pure place of prayer for him
and his community.”

Another is that his #& miracle will endure until the Day of Resurrection,
whilst the miracles of the other prophets were confined only to the
times of their occurrence, so that only Teports of them remain, The
Holy Qur'an, on the other hand, remains the Prophet's & clear proof and
invincible argument.

Others are that he & is the Seal of the prophets and messengers;
that he was vouchsafed more miracles than any other prophet; that his
Law will last until Judgement Day, and replaces the laws of all other

gait
mes Ye
menor
others

AB. Mujpal means ‘separated, so called because they are the shortest ofthe sits 1}
8°. AbBukhiri. Maibdnt means ‘oft-repeated’
“. AbBukhasi, Muslim,

181

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

prophets; that he will have the most followers of any prophet o,
Day of Resurrection; that had the other prophets lived alongside hin :
they woukd have been bound to follow him; that he was sent to the finn
(according to all scholars); that he was sent to the angels Gccording ‘
one opinion, declared the soundest by al-Subki); and thar he jh was mi
as a mercy to the worlds.

Another is that Allah addressed all the prophets by their names in the
Qur'an, saying ‘© Adam, ‘O Nabi, ‘© Ibrahim, ‘O Dawa! 0 Zakariyy

‘Isa’; yet He addressed the Prophet ® by saying ‘G
Messenger’, ‘O Prophet’, ‘O you who are wrapped in your raiment’, and hy
you who are wrapped in your cloak’. Allah also forbade his & communiry
from addressing him by his name, saying: ‘Make not che calling of the
Messenger among yourselves like your calling one of another’ |24:63), thay
is, do not call him by his name as you call one another by your names,
raising your voices. Rather, sty 'O Messenger of Allah’ or 'O Prophe,
of Allah’ with gravity and humility, and with a lowered voice. He alco
forbade that he dh be addressed with a loud voice, saying: 'O believers, raise
not your voices above the Prophet's voice, and be not loud in your speech ta bim,
as you are loud one to another, lest your works fail while you are not aware
(49:2), and chat he & be called from behind the chambers, saying: ‘Surly
those who call unto you from behind the apartments, the most of them do not
understand. And if they bad patience, until you come out to them, that would
be better for them’ (49:4-5]

Others are that he ja is Allah's beloved, and chat Allah graced him
with both His love and His intimate friendship; that Allah swore to his
prophethood by his own life, his city and his time; and that he & received
Revelation in all its different modes of transmission.

Another is thar Tsrafil came down co hirn f, and never to any prophet
before him. Al-Tabarani narrates, on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, that the
Messenger of Allah % said: ‘An angel descended upon me from the sky
who had never descended upon any prophet before me, and nor will he
ever descend on anyone after me. It was Israfil. He said: “I am your Lord’s
messenger to you; He commanded me to give you to choose whether to
be a prophet-slave or a propher-king, as you desire.” [ looked at Jibril, who
indicated to me that I should humble myself. Had I said “a prophet-king’,
mountains would have been turned into gold for me?

Another is that he is the master of the children of Adam: Muslim

mn the

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

, on the authority of Abi Hurayra, that he said: shal
iE che sons of Adam on the Day of Resurection, and fl Bye
out boasting. In my band shall be the banner of praise, and Ut say
= without boasting:
ee cher is that his $ past and future sins were forgiven for him, as
p said: ‘That Allah may forgive you your sins of the bast and those to
said that this means ‘all of those things in
‘ou were remiss, such as you could be rebuked for them’

a ace that he is the noblest ofall reaion in lla’ sight, being

ior to all the messengers and all the archangels; that his # dean
ee submitted to him"; and that the dead are asked about him & in
ein graves.

"Another is that it was forbidden to marry his J wives after him, Allah
having said: Yond bis wives are their mothers’ [336]; that is; they are as
forbidden to them as their own mothers. Allah forbade them fom
marrying, his & wives after him as an honour and a unique distinction.

‘Another is thac his f& daughter’ sons were considered ro be his. He
suid about al-Hasan: “This son of imine is a nobleman Gayyid): ines
ofbirth and marriage will be severed before che Day of Resurection, save
for his line of birth and marriage” He & also said: ‘All lines of birth and
marriage will be severed before the Day of Resurection, save for
ofbisth and marriage.”

‘Another is chat it was forbidden for any man married to one of the
Propher’s # daughters to take a second wife alongside her, since this
sould offend him, and to offend him dh is forbidden by the agreement of
all, AFMiswar ibn Makhrama reported that AIT ibn Abi Talib proposed
marriage to a daughter of Aba Jahl while he was already marcied to
Fapima the daughter of the Prophet . When Fatima heard of this, she
went to the Propher f& and said: “Your people are saying that you do not
grow angry for che sake of your daughters! ‘Alf is to marcy the daughter of
Abi Jahl? The Prophet went forth and addressed he people, testifying to
Allah’ Oneness and then saying: ‘I gave one of my daughters in marriage
to Abit al-As ibn al-Rabi', and he assured me of something and proved
true to his word." Fatima bine Muhammad is a part of me, and | hate

may line

© Muslim,
© This may smply thar Aba al-‘Ay Promised aot to marry another woman while married to.
Zaynab (Fash al-Bart, (t)

183

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

for anyone to cause her strife. By Allah, the daughter of the Messenger
of Allah can never be joined with the daughter of the enemy of Allah
in marriage to one man.’ ‘Ali then forswore the engagement. Another
narration, also of al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of al-Miswse
adds: ‘My daughter is part of me; whae alarms her alarms me, and why,
offends her offends me.’

Another is that there is no room for any independent reason
lgitibid] when it comes to the direction of his && mibrab, which needs
correction, whether to the left or to the right.

‘Another is that whosoever sees him § in their sleep has seen him
in truth, for Satan cannot assume his form. Muslim's narration has ie
"Whosoever sees me in sleep shall see me in a waking state.’ And no one
can be given the agnomen Abi: al-Qasim (Father of Qasim), whether
he be named Mfubammad or not, according to al-Shaf', although Milik
lowed thi
‘Another of his & unique distinctions is that anyone who was in his
presence even for a moment is considered to be a Companion. The rank
ion [Tabi}, on che ocher hand, is only given to those
who spent a lengthy period in che company of a Companion, according to
the soundest opinion of the scholars of us. The reason for this difference

ing
no

to endow that person with wisdom. All his & Companions were ju
for Allah said, speaking to those who were alive at that time: ‘Thus We
appointed you a midmast community’ [2:143], meaning a just community.
The Propher % said: ‘Do not insult my Companions, for by Him in
whose hand is my soul, were one of you to spend Uhud’s weight in gold
he would not equal the measure of even one of them, nor even half of
He $ also said: “The best of people are my generation, then those who
follow them, then those who follow them."

Other unique distinctions of his #& are that the one who prays addresses
him f& directly, saying ‘Peace be upon you, O Prophet’, and does not
address anyone else; that if he 4 called anyone while they were praying,

29 AL-Bukhari, Muslim.

+" This is one of the names of the Prophet @.
ay

184

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Fean

ce obliged to break the prayer and answer him; that to lie about

ing about anyone else ~ since anyone who lies aheut
‘ema never be accepted as a narrator ever again, even if he
i

ning 10 the soundest position of the scholars of usu thar hee
bat protected from al sins, major and minor, intended or unintended,

be ocher prophets (peace and blessings be upon them all) that
2 sapossible for him & or any other prophet to fall victim to madness,
ogy unconsciousness oF blindness, because they are all flaws; and thar
sa ao insults im of cxitcnes him muse be excued =
wT eothes of his & unique distinctions is that he was permitted to
make special rulings for whomever he chose, such as when he made the
medmony of Khuzayma equal co the testimony of two men, Al-NUman
thn Bashir & reported that the Messenger of Allah fe bought a horse from
edouin, but this Bedouin then denied thatthe sile ad taken place
Khusayrna approached and said “O Bedouin, | testify that you indeed did
gel it The Bedouin said, ‘Since Khuzayma has testified against me, then
give me the price” The Messengcr of Allah sad: “Khuzayma, you did
ot witness it, so how can you testify to it?” He replied: ‘T believe you
spout the tidings you bring ftom Heaven; how, then, could I not believe
you about the tidings of this Bedouin?” Upon this, che Messenger of
Yilah # made the testimony of Khuzayma equal to that of two men and
there was never anyone in the history of Islam whose testimony was equal
to thar of two men except Khuzayma,

‘Another example of this was his 4 dispensation for Umm ‘Ariyya,
permitsing her to wail in mourning. Muslim narrates that she said:
“When the verse was revealed 'O Prophet, when believing women come to
you, swearing fealty 10 you upon the terms that they will not associate with
‘Allab anything, and will not steal, neither commit adultery, nor slay their
daldren, nor bring a calumny they forge between their bands and their feet, nor
ahobey you in aught honourable...’ (60:12), this included funeral wailing
{niyibal. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, let this be forall save the family

gare

% Qidi ‘Iya mentions this (in al-Sbifa), as do other

‘Qor'in, che Sunna and the consensus of the Maslims. Al-Khattibi said: ‘I do nor know of
any disagreement among the Muslims that such « person must be executed if he is Muslim.
‘The Malis say that such a person ts killed as a sinfl Muslim (not an apostate, and chat his
repentance is noc accepted, nor are any excuses of his that he said what he did accadc
misiakendy. The Shaf's say chat to do such a thing is an act of apostasy thar rakes one oat of
Iam into unbelief, so that such a person is unquestionably an apostate and an unbelieve.

theit proof is taken from che

185

:

MUHAMMAD J THE PERFECT MAN Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Frats

fo he days of
of [o-and-so, for thes made me happy inthe days of pagan ino
nd so] must make them happy.” He said: “For all save the fami
{So-and-co]”” i
Another exam ofthis his eacsing Asma bin Umesh
¢

rie chun of transmission, withthe wording: Allah hs angel
about che lard, passing on to me the greetings of poset ot
nity! Al-Asbahiat carrates it, on the authority of ‘Amanar
an angel to whom he gave the power to hear all ;

swauthe
eho rave!
aay commen

. 7 4 , has His servants:
mourning period. Iba Sad narrated sha Asma se ‘When Jafar ie on <omcone invokes blessings upon me, he conveys thery ay ae
‘Abi Talib was slain, the Messenger of Allah & said to me: “Wy is thae the actions of his $ community are sh

es for three days, then do as you please.” “at your ‘Apother is € Y are shown to him f,

mourning-dres
‘Another case of this was when he § allowed Abt Burda ib

to offer the sacrifice of a female lambt*; though there is a di
opinion as to whether this was @ unique distinction,

‘Another instance of this was his # allowing the man 1
marriage-dowry of nothing more chan the Quran he had memorigg
the Messenger of Allah f gave 2 woman in marriage to him i grup,
for the sira he had memorised*, saying No one after you can offer sup
a dowry’; though there isa difference of opinion as to whether this wat
unique distinction.

Another unique distinction of his jis thar his fevers would be twice
as bad as those other men suffered, so that the reward for them woul
be doubled.”

Another is that people offered his f funeral prayer in drove after drove
with no imam, and without the usual funeral supplication** and that e
was left for three days before being buried, and that his grave wa
with cloth, both of which would be reprehensible if done for any of us,

Another is that his §& blessed body does not decay, nor do the bodies of
any of the prophets (peace and blessing be upon them).'*

Another is that he $& left no inheritance, just as the other prophets
(peace and blessings be upon them) did not. He Je said: ‘We prophets
leave no inheritance.’

‘Another is that an ange} was set at his & grave to pass on to hum the
blessings thar people invoke upon him. AlHakim narrated this with

d be seeks forgiveness for chem. Ic is established that nota day passes
2H che Prophet is shown che dees of his community by moraing and
bat ing, and he recognises them by their marks and their deeds.**
mepother fs that his & pulpit stands above his pool (haw), as the
adich reports (in one narration): My pulpc stands on a watered bank of
puadise”"* None of the scholars dispute that this is meant literally, and
tharit isa tangible reatity; for the power of Allab knows no hounds, and
fsery macter of the unseen which The Trusted One f conveys unto us
trust be believed. And what lies between his & pulpit and his grave is a
tnewdow of Paradise.” ;

‘Another unique distinction of his is char his grave will be the first to
be opened at the Resurrection, as he # said: ‘I shall be the frst one for
‘whom the earth is opened.
Anocher is that he J will be resurrected in the company of seventy
thousand angels, With every dawn that rises seventy thousand angels
circle about his grave, beating their wings, until in the afternoon they
ascend and another seventy thousand angels descend; this will continue
util the earth opens around him, whereupon he will come forth among
serenty thousand angels to honour him 3. He 4 will be the first to cross
the Bridge, and will be brought forth forthe Resurrection riding upon
the Burig.*”

n Nayyar
ference of

give y

Another is that at che Resurrection, he & will be clothed in the finest
be broughe forth on the
and

robe of Paradise, He 4& said: ‘The people
Day of Resurrection, and I and my community will stand on a

A black dress a woman in mourning would wear, which covered her head. “© im al-Mubirak,

Bukhari, Mastin. “In Paradise

AbBulhisi, Maslin. © The word used here is tur'a, which means a meadow in an elevatcd place;
land, called 2 rad

St AbBukbici (with che wording -berween my house 2nd my pulpit).
Muslin,

AbBukhari,

Aiea Sala

eeegeses

186 187

MUHAMMAD § THE PRRFBCT MAN

my Lord will clothe me in a green robe.**
‘Another is chat he de will stand at the right side of the Throne, in

place where no other will stand, for which che first and the last will enyy

him.”
‘Another is that he # will be given the Glorious Station of Intercession

(al-Magam al-Mabmid).

His Superiority To THE Rest oF THE PROPHETS

1 = The first ching that indicares this is his 4 primordiality, meaning
that his soul was created before their souls were. The proof of this
ity is the hadith reported by ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Amer ibn ak

haw wrote down the fates of creation

pramord
stating that the Prophet # said:
fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, while
His Throne was on the water!

‘And one of the things which He wrote in the Remembrance ~ the
Mather Book ~ was thar ‘Muhammad is the Seal of Prophets!" Another
version has it; ‘I was, in the sight of Allah, the Seal of Prophets while
‘Adam was yet cast in

"Another narration has it that someone asked him J: ‘When was
d to you?” He replied: “When Adam was berween

‘Another narration scates that he & said: I was the first of the prophets
to be created, and the last of them co be sent."

2 = Another proof is that Allah took a pledge from the prophets
regarding him &, as He says: nd uben Allab took che pledge ofthe prope
"Behold hut which 1 have given you of Book and Wisdom then there skal come
to you a mesenger, confirming what you pesss: you sall believe én bin and
‘you shall belp bir’ [3:81].

"Thus He made all che prophets, as it were, his $ disciples, and inspired
them to follow him: had they lived to see him J, they would have been

“Kab sbn Milk.
“Ibe Masiid

“ Mustim

‘41 Ahmad, al-Bayhaqy, a
AleTismidhi

© Abu Nu‘aym, Ibo Abi Harim, Iba Lil
‘bn Hibbio and al-Tirmidhi,

i supported by similar narrations by al-Hakim,

Part Four: The Perfection of bts Glorioy p
45 Feass

ed to follow him.
oblige also mencioned him before the other pro

pose wnt 7 inspiration, as We sent it 10 Nub g
gt6)

_Allah addressed every propher by his
30M Nab! Go down...” [1148], "O Ponaby

phers when He said; “
id: ‘We
ind the propheesafier ee

1s saying: ‘OAdam! Dull

‘ ;
ee wt [have uote above all mankind, ane 1174), 0
Si [38:36], 0 ‘sd, Son of Mi wid! We bane
made YOU» £ i, Son of Maryam! é

), °O Zakariyyi! We

F 7}, and ‘O Yabyat
you cing U bya! Take tbe Beak.” 19)
si ox address our Prophet ge by his name, but rather Ne . Yet He
py sayngt Prophea! (33:1) and °O Aesenger? (5 LA noured him
i pention his name to identify him, He linked x with ten gen
Seovesenget, ying: Muhammad is naughr but a masenyor po
i 7;
fave posed ae bere e 144], ‘Mubammad is the Mane eet a
[us20], and “ad belive in what is sent down ta Mibommnad sie tard
tra [472]. And when He mentioned him & alongside the Ereadc tee
trentoned the Priend by name and the Propher & by his tale cage
‘Surly tbe people standing closest to Tbrabim are those why flowed noe,
im, a

his Prophet” [3:68].

4- Allah Almighty has cold us that the carli
Fico tat prope by theless uke ne
you bt nae brought usa clear proof {013),"O Sali ou Tee tig on
Tourer of ope among ws (11:62), O Misa! Mate for waged, os they hon
gf (PAB), and 'O ‘Ba Son of Maryam! Can your Lor... [510]; 01 He
fatale the Prophers B community ay addres hin by bis canes cic
‘Mate not the caling of the Mesenger among youralves lke your calloy ov
— ing one

Ibn ‘Abbas said of Allah's words ‘Make not the cling of the Messen
among yourcles like your calling one of anatter’ 24:83) "Do vot an O
Muhammad, but say O Messenger of Allah! v

And the other prophets would debare with their communities about
themselves: Nah’s people said ‘We see you in manifs: error’ {7:60), and
te defended himself by saying: ‘No error is there in me’ (736k and Hid’
people said ‘We see you in foly’ [7:66], so he said ‘No foly i ehere in me’

“ oribin a. [

189

NUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

[7:67]; and Pharaoh said to Misa ‘Misd, J think you are bewitched?
whereupon Masa replied: ‘Pbaraob, F think you are accursed’ (17:102]

But Allah took it upon Himself to argue for His Prophet $: when
they called him a poet, Allah said ‘We hae nor caughy bim poetry’ (36:¢9)
and when they called him a soothsayer, Allah said ‘Nor i i the word of
42 soothsayer’ (69°42); and when they called him errant, Allah said ‘You,
companion has not erred’ (53:2]; and when they called him mad,
said ‘You are not, by your Lord's grace, a madman ; and when they
said "You are bur a forger [10:101], Allah said ‘Nay, but most of chem bavy
ino knowledge. Say: the Holy Spirat sent it down’ (16:101-102], and ‘They only
forg falicboad, who believe not in the signs of Alla; and those ~ they are the
iiars’ [16:105]; and when they said ‘Only a mortal is teaching bi’ (L6:103),
Allah replied to them: ‘The speech of bim at whom they bins is barbarous; yer
this is dear Arabic speech’ (16:103).

5 — Allah gp swore on the Propher’s & life, and oaths are only sworn
con things of greatness. Tbn ‘Abbas is reported to have said: ‘Allah neither
created nor formed any soul nobler than Muhammad $; and 1 never
heard Allah swear by anyone else's life as He did when He said: ‘Upon
‘your lif, they wandered blindly in their drunkennes” [15:72].

6 ~ Ibn ‘Aqil said: ‘Greater yet than His words to Misa “I have fashioned
‘you for Myself” [20:41] were His words: “Tey who pledge allegiance wnto you
ihut pledge allegiance unso Allah” [48:10].

7 (ibm ‘Aqgl continues) ‘And His words: “Nay, [swear by this land; and
‘you are a dweller én this land” {90:1-2] mean: I swear not by this land, and
if Lswear by this land, itis because you dwell in it’

Another interpretation of this occurred 10 me, wh
Almighty is saying ‘I swear nor by this land" (90:1]*"; that
land is great, I shall not swear by it, because you dw
and you are greater still. Thus I shall swear by you; for how could I swear
by something great when it contains that which is greater and nobler

ss on the understanding of the word

+ This interpretation, 4s well as that of Ibn ‘Ac
Id se the stare of the verse as meaning not ‘Nay’, as is the usui
‘Thus the verse can be translated either as Nay, I swear by this land’, or ‘I swear not by this lund"

iC}

190

—y

Fach Fou The Perici of His Gy,
oro Peony

on ie”

~ Allah spoke of the state of certai
weal cured to them in forgiveness Bae and then declared
and sbetr harneful Parts were revealed to them, ay, be {te C00 of hem a es
spemsaivs leaves Of the Garden, And Adam droge they 00k roster nf
fier bis Lord chose bim, and turned
ppou2i-22h and Hie cold us how Mass gh
eet then suid ‘Lord, forgive met
Bi of Did ‘Said be, “Asura ery
jnaddicion £0 bis sheep; and indeed Many intermix,
oan [38:24], and then said “We forgave him is:
‘Certainly We tried Sulayman... (38:34),
pd), Yer He told us oF how He forgave our secu
mentioning any specific sin, saying: ‘That Allah mayo 5 Without
the past and these 0 follow" [48,2], may forgo yeu your sins of
The other prophets would also make requests for sce.
pertetions for themselves, untike our master Morse ks and
Alah blessed with those ranks freely, without an nat & whom
is exremely precious, and Allah has given my, meee te sib
dhr part of which He has deigned ro show mer {ean Pee ough
capi of this which have occured to my hear, SEM the
Ibrahim broke the idols, while our Proy ‘
the roof ofthe Ki‘ba, and then gestured eee Ne f ie ms
idl, which fell down; chis occurred on the day ofthe Coens 2®
Sabi collections afficm. eagetstyas the
Had was aided by the wind, while our Pro
, was aided bya hurricane, which swept meet coe
ofthe Battle of the Trench. nue susoesey
Salih was given a she-camel, while many camels
before our Prophet, the Messenger of Allah %, as dnp ae
Yasuf was given half ofall beauty, while the Messenger of Allah wa,
given all of beauty, as the hadith states nee
Waeer gushed forth from the rock for Misi, while water floned ffom
berween che fingers of our Prophet, the Messenger of Allah 4: and thi
‘as more incredible, for it is not so unusual for water to flow from rock
1sit is for it co flow from between flesh and blood.

191

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

Masa & had a staff, while the wailing and weeping of the tree
was all the more incredible. The story of the weeping tree trunk is p,
in the Sapih collections; it states that the Prophet $ used to gi
sermons from a tree trunk which had been set up for him; bur wh
pulpic was made for him, he left che trunk, which began co weep a
for him like a babj

‘The mountains glorified Allah alongside Dawid, while
that stones glorified Allah in the very hand of our Prophet fe.

‘The winds were subjected to the will of Sulayman, such that its mocnin
course was a month’s journey and its evening course was a month’
Journey, while our Prophet $ was taken to Jerusalem, a month's journey,
in a fraction of a night; and all within a month's journey were struck
by dread of him, as the authentic hadith says: ‘T have been succoured by
dread for a distance of a month's journey’; and he was taken up to the
Throne, a journey of fifty thousand years.

Sulayman understood the speech of birds, while our Propher g
understood the speech of the camel which complained about its master,
and the speech of the stone which gave him greetings of peace, and other
examples besides these.

The jinn were subjected to the will of Sulaymin, while the Qur’in
affirms that 2 group of the jinn went to our Prophet % and announced
their faith. And if Sulayman was able to fetter those of them who
disobeyed him, then our Prophet & was able to catch hold of a demon
that crept up on him, after which he let it go, saying: ‘Were it nor thar
my brother Sulaymin said ‘Lord, forgive me, and give me a sovereignty thar
shall be given to none after me’ [38:35], 1 would have hung it from a pillar
of the mosque for the children to play with’, as is narrated in the Sahib
collections.

The jinn were helpers for Sulayman, giving him their service; yet our
Propher’s & helpers were the angels, who fought for him and repelled his
enemies, as occurred at Badr and Hunayn.

‘Isa gave tidings of the unseen, while it is established that our Prophet
& did this many times, for many people.

unk
elated
Ne his
IeN the
ind sob

affirmed

192

Part Four: The Perfection of His Gloriou, Feat:
att

Tue PERFECTION oF THE Favours
THAT WILL BE GRANTED 7 Him
gin THE HEREAFTER, AND To No
OTHER

f wit be the first person for whom the ground will be opened,

the firs leave to

from seeing Hin)
ind will be veiled ffom seeing Him) che fist of he prot
mm among his community, the fst of them to pus era Bdge

judge
se; and his wall be

Mich his community, the frse of them to enter Parad
the fee community to enter Paradise. Allah gave him, besides these
tier treasures and precious gifts beyond count. m

‘Among these are that he $ will be resurrected while riding a mount,
and that be alone will be given the Glorious Station [al-Magam al-
‘Mabmid) and that he will bear the banner of praise and be followed
ty Adam and the other prophets. He will also be given unique leave to
peoserae before the Throne, when Allah will teach him such words of
pesise and glorification chat He never taught to any other, and wi
reach to any other, thus ennobling him furcher and drawing him ever
closer to Himself. And He will say to him, ‘Muhammad, lift your head:
speak, and you shall be heard; ask, and you shall be given; intercede, and
your intercession shall be granted,’ No gift could be greater chan this,
save for the vision of the Almighty.

Another is that his & intercession and Prostration will be repeaced
a second and a third time, when he again praise Allah with che
words He taught him; and Allah will say to him in each prostsation:
"Muhammad, lift your head: speak, and you shall be heard; ask, and you
shall be givens intercede, and your intercession shall be granted”

Others are chat he # will stand on the right side of the Throne, where
ag other being will stand, so that he will be envied by the first and the
lase; that he will testify before the prophets and their communities that
they delivered the message to them; that they will ask him to intercede
for them to relieve them of their distress and weariness, and to shorten

never

193

the time they will spend standing; that he will intercede for
have already been condemned to Hell; that his Pool shail
vessels in it than any other; thar the believers will only enter p,

by his intercession; that he will intercede for the raising of the «te
people whose deeds would not have been enough r0 win thei sg
ino Paradise; and that he has been given al-Wastla, the highes S"
of Paradise. And there are more besides, by means of which Allsh
increase the Prophets & majesty, greatness, honour and nobly,
of mankind and the angels to see, That the grace of Allah, yt

gives to whom He will; and Allah is of infinite grace, He

As for his fs being che fist persoa for whom the earth wil open
the the things aforemetiond er are Some of ve hadith panne

People wh,
ave mon,

to this:
Muslim narrates, on the authority of Abu Hurayz, that che Meng

of Allah said: ‘T shall be che master of the sons of Adam on they
of Resurrection; and I shal be the fist for whom the each opens and
shall be the firs intercessor, and the frst whose intercession i grant’
ALTiemighi narrates, on th authority of Aba Said, that the Menge
of Allah # sad: ‘I shall be the master ofthe cons of Adacn on the Dat
Resurrection, and [l say this] without boasting, In my hand shall be
banner of praise, and [I say this] without boasting; every prophet, from
‘Adam onwards, shall be under my banner on that day. And I shall be cis
first for whom the earth opens, and [I say this} without boasting’
‘AlTirmidhi and Abi Hatim nacrate, on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar
A, thac the Messenger of Allah Js said: ‘I shall be the frst foc whom
the earth opens, and then Abu Bake, and then ‘Umar; and then all hn
buried in al-Baqi will be brought forth and gathered with me; and then
I shall await che people of Mecca, until we meet between the Two Sacred

Mosques.
Al-Tirmidhi and al-Darimi narrate, on the authority of Anas, that the

Messenger of Allah # said: ‘I shall be the first of mankind to emerge
when they are raised, and I shall be their leader when they are called
forth, and I shall be their orator when they listen, and I shal! be their
intercessor when they are confined, and I shall be the one who gives chen

194

Part Four: The Perfectlon of His Glorious Feats

caanps when they despair. Nobility and the
ween the banner of praise wi that day ce i ae
at ofthe sons of Adam to my Lord, anda thou ea he
den our me, asi they Were precious eggs or scattered gence
Ibn a Qayyim, author of Ha ahr, ate tar en
, at Ul

'y of Resurrection wich

Bil ee Tabanan’ nar
im acd al-Tal rate, on the authority of Abi
Mo Messenger of Allah si The prophes ei ee
ata and { will be raised upon che Burag, and Bilal ofr
mou rahe-camel of Paradise, calling the adban alone, and the

na she
ruth in

upon
be raised

all erath; and when he reaches J tei shor Mbt

‘Allab, che believers will testify to thi
oo ae narration bas i thal Ghee peg
unites hear [tet that Mubammad she Moree of gg
oot See ae t he Visited ‘Aish 33
al-Abbar related that he visited Aisha $, a

rhe Messenger STATINS. Kh vl heer eee ite
sens thousand angels descend and fy abou the gv, beaing shen
singe and invoking blessings upon the Propher & und the ane
Niseupon they ascend and another seventy thousand angels den
ind Aly about the grave, beating their wings and invoking blessings upon
the Prophet &. Seventy thousand by night, and seventy thousan
This wil go on until the earth opens for him and he emerges, Ma
seventy thousand angels to honour him. :
ALTirmidhi narrates, on the authority of Abi Hurayra %, chat the
ese: of Alla & aids shall be chefs for whom the est open
avhercupon I shall be dressed in a cloak of Paradise, and then stand on
the right side of the Throne, a place where no other creature will stand
bet E

‘ArBayhagi narrated chat the Messenger of Allah & said: “The firs
gerson to be dressed in clothes from Paradise will be Ibrahim, who
be dessed in a cloak of Paradise. Then a char wil be brought forth and
srt on the right side of the Throne. Then I will be brought forth, 2nd
dressed in a robe from Paradise that no man could fashion’ The hadith
goeson to state that he J will sit on the chair to the right ofthe Throne.

“Kalbe narration has ‘t green cloak’

195

MUHANMAD gh THE PERFECT MAN

Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrate, on the authori i
ibn al-As, that the Messenger of regrets al
a month's journey. Its water is whiter than milk, and its
than mask, and its cups are like the stars of the sky. Wha
from it once shall never thirst again. si
Muslim's version adds: ‘Its sides are equal: it is as lon
Umama’s narration adds: Tes surface shall never darken, Ave,
by al-Bazair and al-Tabarini on the authority of Anas afin
does not drink from it shall never be quenched of his thirst
narrated by abTirmidhi and al-Hakim on the authority of Th,
‘The people who visit it most will be the poor folk of the |
Al-Qurtubi says in al-Tadbkiva: “The author of al-Qave and othe
that the Pool will come after the Bridge; others say che opposite”
Muslim narrates, on the authority of Abi Dharr: ‘Into the P;
two streams from Paradise. mel
AbTirmidhi narrates that Anas said: ‘I asked the Messenger of
f& who would intercede for me on the Day of Resurrection. He replied 4
if Allah wills it” I said: “Where, then, should 1 ask fori" He sa
“The first place you should seck me is on che Bridge” I said: “And itt
meet you not on the Bridge?” “Then seek me at the Balance,” he sad,
“And if I mect you not at the Balance?” “Then seek me at the Poo”
he said, “for I shall not miss these three places.” i
‘Al-Qurrubi said in al-Mufbim:

ih ibn ‘Am,
the span
is sweets
Sever drink

is broad?
Narrated
© He Whe
A Version
bebitn ad
Emigrants!

Every morally responsible person should know and believe that the
Almighty has singled out our Prophet Muhammad f with the Pool,
whose name, description and contents are clearly stated in several famous
and authentic hadiths, which together impart definitive knowledge of tl
for over thirty Companions related it from him &, including over twenty
in the two Sabih collections, and che rest in other collections. ft is also
something that became widely known and conveyed, the aforementioned
Companions passing it on to the Second Generation, and they in turn
others, and so on. The early Muslims all affirmed it, as did those of the
later Muslims who were of the Ab! al-Sunna.

he Prophet &

Muslim narrated, on the authority of Aba Hurayra, thar ¢
give them to

said: “My community will come to me at the Pool, and I w'

196

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

of ras a man gives his camels to drink.’ They suid, (O Messenger
| you recognise us? He replied: “Yes, for you will have 2 mark
hers will have. You will come to me shining and bright,

0 ot
i ns ie
‘Abo Said al-Nisaport narrated, on the authority of Anas, that the

ex fo said: ‘My Pool has four pillars: the first in the hand of Aba
ae ar-Siddiq, che second in the hand of ‘Umar al-Firuq, the third
pnd of ‘Uthman Dhun-Nurayn, and the fourth in the hand of

the
nt itn Abi Talib. Thus, if anyone loves Aba Bakr and hates ‘Umar,
Api Bake will aot give him co drink; and if anyone loves ‘Ali but hates
chman, ‘Ali will nor give him to drink,

as for his f& being honoured with intercession and the Glorious Station
nih tays:Perbance your Lord shal rae you in a glorious sation’ (17.79),
arse eacgetes agree that che word ‘perchance’, when uttered by Allah,
ggqcses a certainty. Ther i a difference of opinion a to the meaning
fehe ‘glorious station.

"The frst opinion, which Fakhr al-Din al-Razi considered the soundest
and which al-Wihidi reported to be the consensus of the exegetes, is
that it is the station of intercession. There are authentic hadiths that
firm this, such as that which al-Bukhari narrates on the authority of
tbo ‘Umas, stating chat the Messenger of Allah & was asked about the
Glorious Station and replied: ‘It is the intercession.’ He also narrates that
the Messenger of Allah & suid: ‘On the Day of Resurection, mankind will
be arrayed in hosts, cach community following its prophet and saying,
sfprercede for us!” Eventually the intercession will be granted to me, and
that is the Glorious Station.’ This opinion is further supported by the
famous prayer: ‘Raise him to the Glorious Station for which he will be
caved by the fist and the last”

‘The second opinion is drawn from Hudhayfa’s words: ‘Allah will gather
rrankind on a single plain, and nota soul wil speak. The first to be called
will be Muhammad $, who will respond: “At Your service, and under
Your command; all goodness is in Your hand, and evil rouches you not
He is guided whom you guide. Your slave stands before You, and with
You, and ro You; there is no refuge from You save with You, Blessed and
Euaked be you, glory be to You, Lord of the House!” This is the meaning
ofhis words ‘Perchance your Lord shall raise you in a glorious station’ (17-79):

* Ab-Tibarisi, Ibn Mandah,

197

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

The third opi in Paradise to be taken to hi Fi
will be praised. hore igher ranks therein,

Ifyou say, ‘Since the most commonly-held opinion is thar

5- Fort

is that it means simply ‘a station whose final
al en
I

ds which are given to him f alone are the first

ia honour of being the first ro knock on the fies aie
o enter it, Muslim narrates on the authority of Anas that
Messenger of Allah & suid: shall have the most followers on the
the Me esurection, and be the frst to knock on the deor of Parase’
Diy Kaen also narrates that he sud ‘T wl go to the door of Paradise
ate Dey of Resurrection and seek entrance The doorkeeper will say,
aa are your” I will 8), Muhammad.” He will say, “I was commanded

for you, and for no one else before you.”

A ‘whole Mubammadan community will also attain unto this

Fac, 28 an honour tO their Prophet #: they will also be the frst
P muniy to enter Paradise, Muslim narrates that the Prophet 4 said:
‘We last Cah the first on the Day of Resurrection: we will be the first

ater Paradise.
© Citabarini and al-Daraqugi natrate, on che authority of Umar ibn
aihargab & that the Messenger of Allah % said: ‘Paradise will be
osedt0 al the prophecs until T enter it, and closed to all communities
tng! roy community enters it!

“As for his being honoured with the Kawtbar, ic is narrated in the
Sahiy chat the Prophet %& said: ‘Do you know what the Kawtbar is They
said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know better,’ He said: ‘It is a river which
aay Lord has promised me, called Kavehar because of the abundance
{kasbra) of its waters and the immensity of its size and its goodness.’ Al-
af Ibn Kathir said: '{Ehe hadith of the Kawehar] is mass-transmitted
bysuch a large number of hadith narrators that itis completely certain’

‘As for his g& being favoured in Paradise with the Wasila, the loftiest rank
and the greatesc favour, Muslim narrates, on the authority of ‘Abdallah
ibn ‘Amr ibn al“As, that the Messenger of Allah & said: ‘When you hear
the muewzin, repeat what he says and then invoke blessings upon me; for
whosoever invokes one blessing upon me shall have ten blessings from
Allah. Then ask Allah to grant me the Wasila; it is a station in Paradise
fit only for one of Allah's slaves, and 1 hope that | will be that slave.
Whosoever requests the Wasila for me shall receive my intercession.’
& resi level in Allah's sight and a name for the highest station

- Te is the station of the Messenger of Allah & and his abode

ined in the hadiths about the Glorious Sr.
two kinds: the frst is the universal interession atthe time fn
and the second is the intercession for the sinners to be taken
but what occurs to me is that all these statements can be traced Hike
the universal intercession, since the Prophet's & being presented ra
banner of praise, and the glorification he gives his Lord and the nt
speaks before Him, ae all feacures of the Glorious Staion, whey yee”
intercede at the judgement of mankind the Intercession for the a
to be taken out of Hell, on the other hand, is but one of the thi?
will come after this moment. iis
Now the mumber of hadiths pertaining co the intescestion foro
sinful believers in the Hereafter isso high 2s to reach the level of mat”
transmission (udtur), Umm Habiba & related chat the Metsenges
Allah said ‘I was shown what my community will go through afc
me, and how they will sill one anothers blood, and this saddened me 4
was destined for them by Aah just as it had been for the commurra,
fof old}. I asked Allah to grant me right to intercede for them on the De
of Resurrection, and He did so. ;
Abi: Hurayra reported that the Prophet & stid: ‘Erery propher has a
prayer which will definitely be answered when he makes i; I wish tose
my prayer until T intercede for my cornmunity in the Hereaier The
narration of Anas has it: ‘So 1 made my prayer an intercession for my
community.’ This was because of the intense compassion he & felt for us,
and his good conduct in saving his answered prayer for the time we wil
need it most ~ may Allah reward him on our behalf with the best reward!
"Al-Nawawi said that there are five kinds of intercession:

1 - For the relief of che terror of that moment,
2.— For some to enter Paradise without being reckoned.

3 — For some to enter Paradise even though they deserve to be punished
4-— For some sinners to be taken out of Hell after entering it.

198 199

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

in Paradise, and the closest place in Paradise to the throne

Since the Messenger of Allah .& was che nose ardent of all eg
worshipping his Lord, and the one of them who knew Him han tin
Him most and loved Him strongest, his station is naturally it Feareg
station t0 Allah and the highest rank of Paradise; and he f inc
his community to request it for him so that, by this prayer, ch, Structeg
be drawn nearer to Allah and gain increased faith, PANES Meld

Arey

200

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

His & PERFECT EMINENCE, As
AyFIRMED BY THE Book oF ALLAH#
any verses of the Qur'an speak of the Prophet's # immense

aneth, Softy states, eminent rank and noble station; these include
aligning words of the Almighty: ‘Very Allah and His angels iuoke
the

we pan the Prophet. O you who believe, invoke blessings upon him and
Feat [33:56
i ee ord lh affirms the station of the Prophet J in the

me Assembly,* where he is praised before the angels, who invoke

Septet upon blr and Ele also commands the lower realm to invoke
aes vid peace upon him. Thus he is praised by Allah and che

nbabicants of the two realms, the bigher and the lower.
pec examples Alla’ words We hav given you the Kaur (108A)
This verse implies a clear distinction for him , since it expresses this in
she past Eense: He does not say “We will give you’, This indicates that the
«already been given; and there is no doube that he who has already
aed glory ang atcention is nobler chan one who will receive it in the
rire ies a8 though Allah were saying ‘© Muharamad, We readied
faripcans of your everlasting happiness before you cven came into this
OM gence, s0 what docs this say about your nature after you came into
existence, and how you devoted yousself to Our worship? O noble slave,
Sie did not give you this great favour because of your obedience: eather,
Wechose you through Our pure grace and favour, without any obligation’
"Another example is that Allah swore to the blessings He granted him
4, and 10 his lofty status saying: ‘By the morning brghrnes, an by the night
vpn it ssf, your Lord has not forsaken you, nar does He hate you’ {93:1-3}.
Another example is His words: ‘Have We nat expanded your breast for
you’ (942l].
‘Another example is how He told him # of how He had pardoned him
before issuing a rebuke, saying: ‘Allab pardon you! Why did you give them
deave? [9:43].

© Theauthor & ores here: ‘Much of the material in this chapter can also be found elsewhere
inthis book, but we wanted to collect stall an one place specoically devoted
38 The ussembly consticuted by the superior angels and the spints of past
in ee higher heavens.

201

Another example is how Allah told him & of how the denizens uf Het
will wish they had obeyed him, saying: ‘Upon the day when their faces ap
turned about in the Fire they shall say, “Ab, would we bad obeyed Allah and ke
Messenger?” (33:66),

Another example is how Allah ae gavc a testimony o his $e prophethood
in His words, quoting what Ibrahim and Isma‘l said when they buile the
Sacred House: (Our Lord, accept ths from us; you are the All-Hearing, ke
All-Rnowing; and, our Lond, make us submissive 10 you, and of our senf
@ nation submisive co You: and show us our boly rites, and relent to 4.
surely you are the Relenting, the Merciful. And, our Lord, send arnong them ,
messenger, one of them, who shall recite to them your signs, and teach her sbe
Book and the Wisdom, and purify them; you are the Almighty, the All-Wigg
[2:127-129]. Allah answered their prayer, and sent among the people of
Mecca a messenger from them, with this description. The exegetes agree

that the Prophet & is the one meant by this verse; and this is Further
strengthened by his # words: “I am the prayer of my father Ibrahim, and
the tidings of si’ The scholars say that the ‘prayer’ means this verse,
while the ‘tidings of ‘Isa’ means what is mentioned in siirat al-Saff ‘And
[ll bring tidings of a messenger who shall came after me, whose name is Abmad’

61:6].
t ia example is how Allah reminded the believers of how He
blessed them by sending them this Prophet &, one of them, saying: "Truly
Allab was gracious to the believers when He raised up among them a mesenger
from themselves, to recite to them His signs and to purify them, and to teach
them the Book and she Wisdom, though before they were in manifest error’
{3:164]. Allah gave the believers no greater blessing chan the sending of
Muhammad # to guide chem to the truth and the straight pach. The
reason chis was the greatest of all blessings is that the blessing of the
Prophet completed all the good things of this life and the next, and
perfected Allah's religion, which He chose for His servants.

Other examples are His words ‘O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness
a bearer of tidings and a warner, calling unto Allab by His leave, and a a
light-giving lamp’ (33:45-46], ‘Allab knows that you are indeed His messenger

Ahmad, al-Hikim.

202

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

‘But Allah bears witness t0 thar He

(8 ra with His knowledge; and che eae please Jou; He has
sont ss for @ wes [4:168]. 8; and Allah
af cher is chat Allah tells us that the Prophet was Sent to all

ankind,s#yings Saye O mankind, Iam the Meserger of lah te yn ap
pre and ‘We have sent you nat, except to mankind entire’ [34:28]
ff: other is rhar Allah tells us that He made the Propher
ao saying: ‘We sent you not but as a mercy to the Weds

mbar He named him with two of His own Names,
pi is your suffering; anxious is he over you, full of re
raufon rahim) * for the believers’ {9:128). Ibn ‘Abbas
tert righreous and che sinful alike, because if ever 4
‘allah would destroy those who belied him; but as for our Prophet, he
isa mercy t0 the believers in the guidance he brings them, and x core
jo che hypocrite in the protection from being killed he affords him, ae
f mercy t0 the disbeliever by the postponement of the chastisemey te
ine through him; for Allah says: lah would not chastise them while
By were among them’ [8:3

“Another example is ee A bb tells us thar

naw come to an end, for there shall be no messenger fe

ie jh. as He says: ‘Mubaramad is not he father of a sais a
dei the Mesenger of Allah and the Seal ef the Prophes: oh ee

Another is that Allah tells us chat the previous scripcures such asthe
Torah and Gospel prophesised the Messenger of Alluh's & comm
saying: ‘They who follow the Messenger, the Unlertered Prophet whom the
fin written down with them in the Toru and the Gospel [1157

Another is chat Aflah describes him a in the
the most perfect level of moral character,
tremendous nature’ [68:4].

‘Risha & also alluded to this when she said: ‘His narure was the Qur'in,
His speech was in conformity with the Qur'in and an exo
ix his knowledge was the knowledge of the Qur'in; his will and his
deeds were defined hy what che Qur'an commands and recommends; 1f
he turned away from anything, it was because the Qur'an forbade
he desired all that it desired; he rejected all that it rejected; he dis
afl that it disliked; he loved alll that it loved; he strove to implement its

“s

saying:
caderness and me

Said: "He is a eis
prophet was belied,

revelation and prophethood

Qur'an as having reached
saying: “Verily, you are of a

lanation of

APReif ved al-Rabion are Names of Allah (she Tender, the Merci

203

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

instructions. Thus she & expressed her perfect kaowledge of och ¢
Qur'in and the Messenger # in the finest way by saying, “His nature cr
the Qur'an, mas

Another example of this is how Allah a» swore on the mornin,
beightness to the blessings He granted him db, and to his lofty staae®
saying: ‘By the morning brightness, and by the night when it is sill, your Lord
bas not forsaken you, nor dacs He hae you; ad the last sal be better forse
shan the first’ [93:1-4].

‘This was in response co the occasion when his enemies said’ Muhammad’
Lord bas forsaken him!” after the Revelation had not come to him for¢
vime, These verses were hen revealed, conveying these divine lesngs
and favours. Allah denied chat He would ever forsake His Propher
or hate him; that is, He has not forsaken you since He fist took you
into his care, and He bas not hated you since He frst loved you Had
the last shal be better for you than the first [93:4]. This verse speaks of his
& totality, and indicates that every successive state he reached would be
better than that which preceded it, and also that the Hereafter would
be beniee (Ge hin than whar eau before ie. He then. made img
promise which comforted his eyes and expanded his breast, vowing to
give unto him so that he would be satisfied: 4nd your Lord shall give and
‘give unto you, and you shall be sarisfied” (93:5]. This included all th:
‘would give unto him: the Qur'an, guidance, the spread of his ca
ascendancy of his message over his enemies both during his lifecime and
that of his caliphs and chose who followed them; and also what He would
give him in the Hereafter: the intercession and the Glorious Station, and
the gifts He would give him in Paradise: the Wasila, che Lofiy Station,
and the Kawsbar. All in all, chis verse indicates that Allah would give
him & everything that satisfied him. It is narrated in the Sabib that
Allah Almighty said to him: ‘We shall nor disappoint you regarding your
community. Someone said about this:

In al-Duba we read ‘thy Lord shall give’,
And our hearts were gladdened by chat gift;

For far be it, O Messenger of Allah,

That you be satisfied if onc of us be punished!

Allah chen told him of the favours He granted him, and commanded

him to receive them with the appropriate gratitude, saying: ‘Has He not

204

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Fe
‘eats

yuan orphan and sheltered yon?” 193), and so on Until the end of

ira.
the ther example of this is how Allah swore

i F
are him of any caprice in his speech, sayin, a =e

jon has not erred, nor ‘peaks be out of caprice’ [53:1-3] He ene
ae ae the innocence of His Messenger & Eom the misgualane 9°,
the Sis enemies attributed to hum. Reflect on His words “Your com oe
ae erred’, He did not say ‘Muhammad’, in order 10 rebur rhe

asising co them the fact that he 4 was thei
eh W aneesine than atyone, itt dew HC ities eek cee
They did not know him to ever have ed, ered or pone roay wed
faand no fault with bim at all. Ath alkded co thc ekewheg seen
words (Or 40 tg rot ban i own Mesenger? (23:69)

He then declares His Messenger’s f& speech pure of any
source, saying: ‘nor speaks be out of caprice; it is he Richins ote
[53:3-4]. Al-Awzai narrated that Hassan ibn “Atiyya said, ‘Sjibeit would
bring down the Sunna to the Messenger of Allah § Just as he brought
gown the Qur'an to him, teaching it to him’

He then gives us a description of the one who taught him the
Revelation and the Qur'an, saying: “There has caugh: kim one of trie
paver’ (53:5], namely Jibril; and there is no doubt chat to praise the
teacher isto praise the student. This is akin to what He says elsewhere,
“One of power, with the Lord of the Throne secure’ 81:20),

He then says: ‘And He revealed unto His servant that which He revealed,
The heart belied not whar it saw’ [53:10-11]. He tells us thar the Prophet's
fi heart believed what his cyes saw, and char the heart believed the eyes,
not like one who sees something differently to how it actually is so that
his heart belies his sight. Nay, his heart believed what his eyes saw.

Another example of this is how Allah described the reality of how
the Prophet 4 met with Jibril and took from him, explaining the mode
of transmission by saying: ‘No! I swear by the slinkers, the runners, the
sinkers; by the night swarming, by the dawn sighing ~ truly ths i the word of
4 noble Mestenger’ [81:15-19], as He said in strat al-Najn: ‘There bas tauget
iwi one of terrible power’ [53:5]. This power prevented any demons from
coming near him, or subtracting anything from the Revelation or adding
anything to it. ‘One of power, with the Lord of the Throne secure’ [81:20],
that is, having a secure position; and this ‘with-ness’ is a ‘with-ness’ of

205

MUHAMMAD (& THE PERFHCT MAN

ennoblement, honour and distinction. ‘Obeyed" by Allah's archangels,
who carry out his commands and follow his opinion, and ‘morcorey
trusced” [81:21] with Allah's Revelation and Message; for Allah made him
immune to any treachery or error.

So these are five attribuces of the Quran's mode of transmission,
Muhammad & heard it from Jibril, and Jibeil heard it from the Lord of
the worlds: and besides the majesty and glory of this transmission, Allah
also took it upon himself to attest to it personally.

He then declares His Messenger Mubammad & to be pure and free of
what his enemies said of him, saying: nd your companion is no madman!
[81:22]. This is something that they already knew, and did not doube;
even if they said otherwise, they knew that they were lying,

He then speaks of how the Propher & saw Jibril saying: ‘He eruly say
him on the clear borizon’ [81:23]; that makes it clear that what is meant here
isa physically present angel which can be seen with the eyes and perceived
with the sight. ‘He is not niggardly with the unseen’ (81:24). Thn ‘Abbas said:
He is not a miser with what Allah ceveals unto him. The exegetes are
unanimous that ‘the unseen” here means the Qur'an and the Revelation,
“The word danin, ‘niggardly,, can also be read zanin, ‘untrustworthy’, thar
is, this messenger, Muhammad &, is not untrustworthy with the Qur'an,
but rather is trusted with: he will not add anything to it, or take anything
away from it.

‘Another example of this is how Allah swore by him f& when He said:
“Upon your li, they wandered blindly in their drunkennes (15:72), and swore
by his land when He said: ‘Nay, [ swear by tis land; and you are a dweller
in shis land’ [90:1-2], the ‘land’ here being Mecca; and He swore by his
lifetime when He said: ‘By time, verily man is in Jos [103:1-2].™

‘Another example of this is how Allah described & as being a
light and a shining lamp, saying: ‘There bas come unto you from Allab a
Light, and a Bock Manifex’ {5:15], and how He commanded us to obey
him and follow his Sunna, saying: ‘O you who believe! Obey Allab and
His Mesenger’ [8:20], thus making His obedience and His Messenger’s

king them together, just as He made the pledge of

allegiance to che Prophet a pledge of allegiance to Allah, saying: ‘They
who pledge allegiance unto you bue pledge allegiance unio Allah’ {48:10].

Another example of this is how Allah commanded, in His Sacred Book,

obedience one,

“This is according to the opinion chat ala here means ‘the time of the Prophet

206

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glori, Fr
ous Feary

od manners be shown towards the Pi
ee ‘ot before Allab and Hi Mang? te &
me the Messenger of Allah & in anything uni
een on the Messengers tongue. Consider ek >
jue ake al-Siddiq & with hii ze
a rin the Messenger of A\

et rs
pmyestured to Abii Bukr that he should continue ty

S16 O eiue,
+ donot pres
has delrvered

B when he was leaden eet of

Pg the
' He absence. When the Prophet

A ad the
5 Bakr & moved back into the front row sy th, Prayer, bur
A che pasion of imam." When the Doerr Seni
: sed him why he

Hone this, he replied: ‘tis not for the son of
ae of Allah % in prayer Consider, then, Ha
pg Bakr & would inherit the postion of
‘Ab Dahbak said thar this verse mea;
without consulting the Messenger of Allah
weccommand anything uadil he command
Se forbids fi
correct etiquette to refrain from

mam later on,

Do not make « judgement

& others say it means ‘Do
nd do not forbid anything

anti] be
Thus it

ack Pre-empti
n any command, prohibition, permission of action’ the Prophet

ii
B rmanded, forbidden or allowed it as Allah commands eta ee
ted his wil ean the case until the Dey of Reston ed fe

seen abrogated. Thus to advance before his Sunn, even afer he

isthe same as advancing before him during his lictimes nd thee ne
difference between the two for anyone witha sound mind.

Another clement of the good manacrs thar must be shown to him &

thar voices must not be raised above his voice, as Allah says:'0 ‘alice
wie nat your voices abe the Prophet's vice, and be not lad in you spech
wo him, as you are loud one to another, lat your works fal wile you are
not aware’ [49:2]. This implies that the believer should not speak in the
Prophets J& presence as a slave would speak in his master’s presence
atber, his woice should be even lower than that ofa slave with he tmaso
And if raising one’s voice above the Prophets & voice causes one’s works
wo fail, chen what about raising opinions and ideas above his Sunna and
what he && brought? Tr is related that when this verse was revealed, AbU
Bake said: ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I will henceforth speak only
twyou as a bearer of secrets does.” And alter this verse was revealed, ‘Umar

Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi only alludes co this story tm passing here; | have wided
some decal (fom al-Bukhart's narration) since readers may noc be falar with itt

207

MUHAMMAD §& THE PERFECT MAN

& would only speak to the Prophet & in a whisper, so that he Would haye
to ask him to repeat himself.

It is related that Aba Jafar, the Commander of the Faithful, debated
with Imam Milik in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah &. Mai
said to him: ‘O Commander of the Faithful, raise not your votc
mosque, for Allah chided certain people, saying ‘aise nat your voice above
the Prophet's voice’, and praised certain people, saying ‘Surely shore whe
lower their voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger, those are they whys
hearts Allah bas tested for piety; they shall have forgiveness and a mighty wage’
{49:3}; and He criticised certain people, saying: ‘Surely chose who
‘you from bebind the aparrments, the most of them do not understand’ [4
His sanctity in death in as his sanctity in life” Upon heating this, Aba
Jafar calmed down,

‘Another aspect of good manners with him & is not to call him as
wwe call one another. Allah says: “Make nor the calling of the Messenger
among yourselves like your calling one of another’ [24:63]. There are two
interpretations of t

The first: Do not cal
call him 'O Messenger of A.

humility.
The second: Do not respond to his calls to you as you do to the calls

you make ro one another, where the one called may answer if he likes, or
ignore the call if he likes, Rather, if he calls you, you must answer hi
and you do nor have the right to fail ro do so. A quick response to him is
obligatory, and to leave him without his leave is forbidden.

‘Another aspect of good manners with him § is that if they were all
gathered together for a speech, a military engagement or an encampment,
none of them would ever go off to do anything without first seeking his
& permission, as Allah says: ‘Those only are believers, who believe in Allah
and His Messenger and who, when they are with bim upon a common matter,
.g0 not away until they ask bis leave! [24:62].

‘Another aspect of good manners with him % is that his words can
never be questioned, bur only the interpretations of his words can be
questioned; and no starement of his can be challenged by an analogy, but
rather analogies must be abandoned if they contradict his statements; and
his words can never be interpreted in such a way as denies their apparent
meaning in deference to a whim that is claimed to be ‘rational’, when in

im by his name, as you do with one another;
‘O Prophet of Allah’, with reverence and

208

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious py
6 Feats

ignorant and devoid of truth; and n

nothi

ter alo anyone ele bere i accep Te enh ed he

27 manners with him & and indeed insiene sag tip
a

bie ofall good manners with him & isto hae
et on commands, and ro meet his words with sce a
iret withour allowing vBinglorious fancy to goad one od
Mee opaions of other men ot his, Deferacs, unquestioning ens
a « Messenger Sia
eis ‘at him; these, then, are
vei an be no salvation
oe the proper manners one
said "Thou, upon ubom the
|, Allah answered

media :
the fy abe Pen, and what they inscribe, you are pg
pee aoe posse (68:12) EEN eg fy

When they said “What, has he forged againse Mab a he? | 8], Allah
answered ther for him: ‘Nor so; but those who believe not m the Herefer
are in chastisemnent and far error’ (34:

‘When they said “You are not an envoy Allah answered them: Ya
Gin, by the Wise Qur'an, you are truly among the voy [36:1-3},

When they said “War, sll we forake our gods for a pot gone mad?
[p736), Allah answered: ‘No indeed; but be broughy the trl and confirmed
ihe Envoys [37:37], afficming his veracity, and then gave a warning to
his enemies: ‘Now certainly you shall come to waste th painfd chasivemene
37:38).

Teen they said ‘He isa poet for whom we avait fate’s uncertain’ (52:30),
Allah responded: ‘We have not taught him poetry; i isnot seemly for hum. It
ironly a Remembrance and a Clear Qur'éa’ (36:59). -

When they said, as Allah tells us, ‘This is naught but a calumny be bas
‘forged, and other folk have helped bim to i’ (25:4), Allah responded: “Tous
they have committed a wrong and a falsehood’ [25:4]; and He replied to their

perfect deference to

edience must be devoted exchusively to th
pis devoted exclusively to the One wha si
F usive devorions" without which there c
Qur'in is filled with verses guiding to
have with him 4." When the idolaters

ib wed by Tha al-Qayyimn
Tabivina, aroong others. (t)

The author 4 adds a footnote here saying: ‘We have already seen some of|
chapter on the Propher’s & eminence in rhe Qur'an; we repeat 1 here with some additions, for
soother purpose, {i}

209

MUHAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

words Fairy-tales ofthe anctena' [25:5] by saying: ‘Saye He sent it down, hy
knows the secret in the heavens and earth’ (25:6) 7

When they said than the Revelation was inspired by Satan, Allah sai
‘Not by the devils bas it been brought down’ [26:210].

When he & recited to them the news of what happened co the ancients
al-Nadr ibn al-Harith said: “We could say the like ofthis; this is nage bue th,
fairytales ofthe ancients [8:31], and Allah responded: ‘Say: If'men and jing,
banded together to produce the like ofthis Koran, they would never produce in
like, not though they backed one another’ (17:88).

When al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said ‘This is naugbr but a trumped-up
sorcery; this is natbing but morea! speech’ [74:24-25], Allah responded: ‘Even
$0 not a Messenger came to those before them but they said, “A sorcerer, or 4
madman!” (51:52), by way of consoling the Prophet &.

‘When they said ‘Muhammad's Lord has forsaken him
“Thy Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you’ (93:

When they said ‘What ails this Mesenger hat be eats food, and walks in the
markets? (25:7), Allah responded: ‘And We sent not before you any Envoys,
but that they ate food, and walked in the markets’ (25:20).

When the enemies of Allah among the Jews envied him for having
married several times, saying ‘He is concerned with nothing but marriage’,
Allah responded: ‘Or are they jealous of the people for the bounty that Allah
bas given them? et We gave tke people of Abraham the Book and the Wisdem,
and We gave them a mighty kingdom’ (4:54).

When they found ir far-fetched that Allah would sent a human being
as a messenger, saying, as Allah tells us, ‘And naught prevented men from
believing when the guidance came to them, but that they said, “Has Allab sent
forth a mortal as Messenger?” (17:94] (Vor they were ignorant of the fact
that people are more at ease with their own, and feel more separated from
those who are not like them), Allah answered them: ‘Say: Had there been
in the earth angels walking at peace, We would bave sent down upon them out
of beaven an angel as Messenger’ [17:95]. That is, had the people of earth
been angels, their messenger would have been an angel; but since the
people of carth are human beings, their messenger had to be a human
being.

lah responded:

210

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

THE PERFECTION OF His & Worsnip

sax PROPHET’S f worship was constant and unint
sae day. Our lady isha & was asked: How wast
jan # 5 ne oe ae ir dee it to certain
gs ¥ She replied: ‘No, ction was constant,
ain She Te Messenger of Allh fe couldh=
oe Messenger of Allah & never left his egular sy
aod acts of worship in his 7 fe. Umin Salama iy reported to have
aaig in the time before the fesssnger of Allah & died, he stepped up
his feupererogatory] prayers, offering them while seated. The action he
Fed the ber - the one which the servant did consistently,

fy a litt
ati Liane pleasure and fondest repose was in wor: He % would
ay: “Arise, O Bilal and Biv us peace with praye!™ He ao sed: The

7 fort of my eye has been placed in prayer.”
ou of wetship was hav i he eve péiforal'i’ ain of worship,
fe would continue t0 do so consistently and regularly, ‘isha & related
that the Messenger of Allah % said: ‘Take on that action which you
van manage; for Allah does not lose interest until you lose interest, The
tation most beloved to Allah is the most consistent, even if i is only a
title’ ‘Aisha added: ‘And when he & performed an acc of worship, he
would be consistent in it.

He & would regularly offer night vigils, usual
second half of the night, Our lady
part ofthe night, and keep vigil in the later pare,

‘The Prophet # said that this vigil after sleeping was the most beloved
form of night vigil: "The most beloved form of vigi to Allah is the vigil
of Diwiid: he would sleep for half the night, pray for a third of it, and
then sleep for a sixth of it." This is so that one can have a break from
the rigours of the vigil, and so that after the vigil the body can rest and

errupted, night
he Messenger of
days fand not to
and who among you

Pcrerogatory prayers

even ifi

in the carly part of the
ha stid: ‘He would sleep in the first

Abo Dawid.

thn Hibban,

Abmad.

AL-Nasi’, Ahmad.
Aba Dawid,
‘Al-Bukban, Muslim,
AL Bukhari, Muslim.

FREEESR

2iL

be relieved ofthe weariness and physical fatigue of staying awake, wh
is not the case if one simply stays up all night, Another wisdom of than”
that it allows one to offer che dawn prayer and begin one’ daily sar?
with freshness and vigour. In terms of the prayer, this method 2
better for avoiding ostentation, since if one sleeps the final sixth of rho
night he will appear to be relaxed and fresh when he awakes, which berg,
conceals his nightly actions; this is mentioned by al-Hitiz Ibn Hajar in
Fath al-Bari. Furthermore, this method allows the one who keeps the
nigh vigil to parcake in the blessings of the Lord’s gw manifestations of
rece tn the Gal twa dladeol she night:

Hie && would also recite certain formulas and Qurnic passages before he
slept; it is related chat he would no: sleep until first having rected the strss
of Bani Isra’l (al-Isra’) and al-Zumar.* It is also related that he &
not sleep until having first recited the saras of al-Sajda and al-Mulh.
ig aso related that he would recite the Musabbibde» before
slecp; and he sad: ‘in them is averse worth a thousand verse

He f& would also offer the midmorning (dubi) prayer regululy
sennsectines her would olfer-two cycles Ghich tx the leser number thacicae
be offered), sometimes four (which he did most often), sometimes six,
sometimes eight, and sometimes twelve (which is the best and greatest
aurnber that ean be offered).

‘Afier offering the dawn prayer, he 8 would ait crostlegged in his
place and invoke Allah urel the sun had fully risen.” He would ofe
supererogatory prayers after the sunset prayer which differed in number:
sometimes he would keep praying from sunset until the evening prayer”,
and sometimes he would offer six cycles after the sunsec prayer, saying:
"Whosoever offers them consistently will have all his sins forgiven, even

“© ALTirmidhi, Abmad.

“4 ALTirmidhi, al-Nesii.

“The six Musabbihai (so called because they all begia with various conjugations of the verb
sabbaha, meaning ‘tc extol and glorify’) are che chapters al-Hadlid, al-Hasbr, al-Saf, Jur
al-Taghdbun, and at:
“Ahmad and the Suman,

212

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glortout Feats

be as many as the foam of the sea."” He also ca
sik cycles of prayer after the sunset prayer,
offer em, will have them counted for him

‘Whosoever
not speaking any ill word
4 equal to twelve years

real supplicate often and encourage others to
is supplicated, he would raise his hands to level

ims facing the Sky if he was praying for some gud ro be gained ory
ee facing down if he was praying for some cribulation to be avoided.”
prmyould raise his hands higher than usual when pring for ang
veking Allah's urgent aid, or secking succour against an enemy, When
ming hs hands to suppicate, he would noc put th

; erm down again befa
sgh face with ther. He would ic the gia when scpehiiope

iy would like t0 repeat his supplication three times", and would ash,
dates forgiveness three cimes. He would prefer to mal
and would usually not do otherwise:

do the same. When

with his shoulders,

ke comprehensive

ications, =” ‘Comprehensrve’
sx = e prehensive!
me means supplications that combined, in succinct words, the good of

this life and the next. One of his comprehensive supplications was: ‘0
‘Allah, our Lord, give us goodness in this world, and goodness in the
Hereafter, and spare us from the torment of hellfire.

‘another of his comprehensive supplications was:'O Allah, make good
for me my religion, which is the safeguard of my affairs; and make good
for me my worldly life, wherein is my living; and make good for me my
afierlife, whereto shall be my return; and make life 2 means of increase
for me in all chat is good, and make death a means of repose for me from
all that is evil.”

‘Another was: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge with You from discord, and
hypocrisy, and evil conduct. The books of the Sunna record many
of bis comprehensive supplications, which he would say upon different
‘accasions, times and circumstances.

ALTal
bo Majah, al-Tirmidhi,
Abii Dawid.

Toa Mijsh,

eeesaases

213

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

He && would also glorify Allah often throughout the night and g,
Rabi'a iba Kab said: ‘I used to serve him by day, and when night ca a
T would go tothe Messenger of Allah's & door, where 1 would hea ree
say over and over: “Glory be ro Allah, glory be 10 my Lord’, una 0
overcome with sleep."

He & would also ask forgiveness of Allah often throughout the dy
and night, both in prayer and ouside oft, and in all his gatherings)

wations, He would say: ‘By Allah Task forgiveness of Allah and ture nt

in repentance more than seveaty times 3 day’! Ibn ‘Umar side 'yo
once counted the Messenger of Allah fsa, in a single gathering, “Lon
forgive me and relent unto me; You are the Relenting, the Merci
one hundred times." Another version has it “You are the Relenting, the
Forgiving He would also sometimes siy:‘Lask forgiveness of Allah, he:
whom there is no god, the Living, the All-Sustaining, and I curn to Him
in repentance’ more than one hundred times ina single gathering»

He & would also fast often. Sometimes he would fast for so many days
that people would say, ‘He will never stop fasting’; other times he would
go s0 long without fasting that the people would say, ‘He will never fag?
He would fast three days out of every month, and also fast on Mondays
and Thursdays and encourage others to do the same, saying: “They are
the days when deeds are presenced; so [love to make it so that, when my
deeds are presented, | am fasting. He & would honour the blessed day
of his birch, Monday, by fasting on it, saying: “This was the day I yas
born.”

He would also endeavour to fast for most of the month of Sha'ban, and
would sometimes fast constantly. When the month of Ramadan came, he
would make more effort in his vigils than at any other time, and would
make more effort in the final ten nights of it, making a spiritual retceat
therein and spending the whole night in worship.

“2 AbTubartni,

214

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feay

His & PERFECT Fear of ALLAH

ys Messancer of Allah & feared All

lah more than any
is « y other
r yn. This was because, a5 Allah says, "Thor iuly er ste a
sceants who ave krouledge (38:28); and he & knew Allah better thes

as the hadith states:

ae Sapih collections tell us that ‘Aisha & said: “The Messenger
af alluh & did something and thus made ic wl, yer some fiplewes

‘When news of this reach

rest t0 i e ed the Prophet &, be said:
yin is WONG with certain people, that they are averse to something I
go? By Allah, [know Allah beter than any of you, and far Fuge
stan any of you : <

This badich makes clear his $ superiority over all mankind in
knowledge of Allah and fear of Him, and shows that Allah gave him the
pighest and most perfect station of knowledge and fear.

‘Anas & Said: ‘The Messenger of Allah & gave a sermon to us, the like
afvhich {had never heard. He said: “Knew you all what T Keo wan
would laugh litle and weep much!” He then said: “Paradise and Fell vec
shown co me, and never have I seen good and evil the like of which I ang
cay. Knew you all what I know, you would laugh little and weep much™
Neer was 4 day more grievous for che Companions ofthe Messenger af
Allah g than that day. They covered their heads, and sobbed =

‘This hadith indicates the depth of his fear of Allah, and how much he
veept in fear of Allah.

Another aspect of his & perfect fear of Allsh was chat he & was always
ina sate of humility and lowliness before his Lord in all chat he dd,
whether in prayer and worship, or worldly affairs, His reverence in prayer
wag such that a sound could be heard from his chest like the sialing of a
cooking por. ‘Alf & said: We had no mounced knight on che day of Badr
except al-Miqdid; and [on the night before the battle] I saw that all of us
were sleeping except for the Messenger of Allah $, who was under a tre,
weeping as he prayed, until che dawn." And when he # entered Mecca
on the day of the Conquest, he encered in a state of humility to his Lord
~ muy Allah send his best and noblest blessings upon him, and upon his
Family and his Companions!

© AbBukhisi, Mustim,
Ahmed,

215

Part Four: The Perfection of His Glorious Feats

216 217

Part FIve

Tue PERFECTION OF His PouiticaL and
Mirrary LEADERSHIP

“O Prophet, struggle with the unbelievers and hypocrites, and
‘you firm with thera!” [9:73] anit he

Mea

His #& Perrect WispoM IN DEALING
WITH MatTTERs OF PoLitics

HB RECORDED life of our Prophet and Master Muhammad & gives
Ee a clear picture of his perfect wisdom and the brilliant politica
straregy he employed in dealing with issues, solving problems, facing
difficulties, making deals, and establishing covenants, and how skilful
and far-sighted he was. By this, he was able to attain advantages both
obvious and subtle, bring benefit, ward off harm, cut off the means to
harm, arrange things in the best way, and succeed in a way that no one
before him had. Yer this unparalleled success did not change him in
any way; he remained a merciful, righteous, humble, ascetic and devoted
worshipper. Iris true beyond any possible dispute that his life, leadership
of the Muslim community, way of ruling, and delivery of the Message
constitute together the greatest guide — which he showed us
action, not merely words — of what a model ruler should be, in al
circumstances and affairs.

When he & came to Medina, the events of Bu'ath** were still fresh
in the minds of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, and the ancient enmity
berween them was still provoking new instances of conflict; the Jews were
also fanning the flames of conilict between them, fearing what would
happen if things changed. As for the companions of the Prophet & who
emigrated to Medina, they had no power or strength at all, no more than
any other refugees who seek the aid of people who have no love for their
families or tribes.

Because of all this, their position was extremely delicate. Bur the
Prophet # handled the situation with his wisdom, sound strategy and
perfect intellect, proving that he was fit to handle any grave situation,
He immediately began the construction of the mosque, which was the
foundation he placed for both religious and worldly good, becoming
thereafter a place of worship, a centre of leadership, and the base for the
dissemination of the call to Allah. The believers were given their education
there in the best of environments and the finest of circumstances; and
all administrative, political and military plans were formed there; and
delegations were received there; and knowledge was imparted there.

A parcicularly savage battle becween the two tribes. {lj

i id policy in hi

xample of his & sound pol icy in his early days in Medi
Se he sam that che community was divided beer
nt religious beliefs, he set about making a sys of their
diferer ', of all and preserved religious freedom and

id id made all of th
ry and honour, an of them equally
ete cy rom any outside aggression, so thar aso for
ccf interest in times of both war and pea united

if common i aa
& an in a charter which read: ©. All this was

enshein
sa the Nome of Allah, the Infinitely Good, the Mer
hammad, the Prophy i
reenseacement of Muh > rophet #, making a pact b
we clieers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathril a il who fellow
them, join them and fight alongside them, that they are one
ct from all others.

ciful. This is a

community,

‘The charter then affirmed thar if the Jews were to join chem in this
pict thoy would be given succour and security, andthe Musims would
pot allow them to be wronged or aid anyone against them, and that the
Jews of Bana ‘Awf would be united wich the believers in one
the Jews baving their religion and the Muslims having theirs, wogether
with heir freedmen and all their citizenry. le then affirmed that the rest
of the Jews who joined the pact would also be granted all thar had been
granted co the Bania ‘Awf.

‘The charter then affirmed that the Jews and Muslims alike would have
to bear their own expenses, and that they were bound to succour one
another against anyone who waged war against chose who were party to
the charter. They were also bound to seek mutual advice and consultation,
and to uphold loyalty as a guard against treachery,

The charter also stated that Yathrib would be a sanctuary for those who
were party to the charter, and thar a stranger given protection would be
treated as well as his host as long as he caused no harm and committed no
«time, It also stated that a woman could not be given sanctuary without
her kin's consent. It further stated that if any dispute or quarrel arose

community,

‘The old name of Medina

221

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

between the parties to the charter chat might put i i
srould be-referted 4a. Allah * ight put it at risk, the matter
Allah &.

This charter inadvertently put the Messenger of Allah ds
of political power over Yathrib, for a pact such as this would
invoked whenever a dispute arose, and there was no other
invoked besides this one. From that moment,
Islamic State was set down.

Thus the Messenger of Allah & put an end to the chaos and power
struggles, and made it so that the final decision was always referred 10
Allah, meaning to His Law and His Messenger, the discharger of this
Law. Before that, power was determined by brute force: mob cule, which
did not distinguish between the guilty and the innocent.

Another example of his # sublime and rightly-guided polity was the
occasion when a dispute arose between a man of the Helpers and a hired
hand of ‘Umar ibn al-Khatrab, during the campaign of Bani al-Muscaliq
The Helper called for help from the Helpers, and the hired hand called
for the help of the Emigrants, and che two groups almost came to blows,
This was further exacerbated by Ibn Ubayy ibn Salil, the chief of the
hypocrites, who took advantage of the situation, having alongside him
a young man named Zayd ibn Argam. ‘Have they gone so far as this?
said Ibn Ubayy. “They seek to take precedence over us, and crowd us
out of our own land. Naughe will fit us and them but the old saying,
“Fatven your dog and it will feed upon you.” By Allah, when we return to
Medina, the mighty of us will cast out the lowly!" Zayd ibn Argam told
che Messenger of Allah & of what Ibn Ubayy had said, whereupon ‘Umar
said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, send someone to kill him! Yet this wise
leader replied: ‘How shall it be then, ‘Umar, when the people say that
Muhammad slays his companions?” He saw that it was enough to break
camp and move off, leaving with the army at an hour at which he had
never been known to move off before. He took them off that very day, and

they travelled all afternoon and all through the night and into the next

day, until the heat of the sun forced them co stop, weary and exhausted.

When they finally pitched camp, the men had no sooner touched the
sound than they fell asleep.

e The wise propiale reason for making them travel through the 5

and the night without halting was to prevent them from dwelling on

and to Mubammad, the Messenger of

4 Position
always be
Pact to he
the cornerstone of the

222

pet Five: The Perfection of Hts Poittical and Military Leadership

had stirred up their feclings of

dent whic
ah guarded them from the evil of that moment, a stain e
~ iS and brilliant strategy.
che when Ibn. Ubayy’s son Abdallah ~ who was one of the finest

Now (_- heard about what his father had said, he went to the M
Can ip and said, ‘T have heard that you wish to see ‘Abdallah ne

because of what you have heard he std. Ifyou really snerd

in

ubayy te command me ro do the deed, and I shal being yi

» ep, you Enow that there is no one ameng the Kr
peal By es rreher chan I; and I fear that ey

ou his

fenfl 10Bis

him, £ : ig among the people,
2a believer in revenge for a disbeliever ~ and surely would ge

doing so. And what was the reply of this wise, kind, merciful
ncssengets who knew the nature of the human soul so wel Calmly and
Fray, he eplied: No, ‘Abdallah. Rather be gentle with your Father, and
ery reat him well as long as he is with us?
wins ay of dealing with the situation had a lasting effec in preventing
sariker evils; for from chen on, whenever Ibn Ubayy the hypocrite tried
saying similar, his people upbraided him and cook him to tas for his
sections, and reminded him of what the Messenger of Allah $ had said.
‘And by doing this, the noble Messenger f wanted to show ‘Umar aA
ite depth of his balanced and judicious political acumen. In later times
he said fo him: ‘See you not, ‘Umar, that had I slain him as you told me
va, Twouk! have aroused the wrath of folk who, if I were to order them
co say him now, would willingly do so, their hearts overflowing with love
and esteem for the Messenger of Allah?’ ‘Umar replied: ‘By Allah, I know
thatthe command of the Messenger of Allah is more blessed than mine!
‘Another of the praiseworthy decisions he # made that show his rightly-
guided political acumnen was his decision on the day of Hudaybiyya to
ns of the Treaty which seemed, on the surface, to
speli humiliation and ignominy for che Muslims. Some of them objected
to this, even our master ‘Umar at, because che Muslims had nor yet
discerned the great wisdom and sound polity thar the Prophet & was
employing, After some time had passed, however, the Muslims began to
alse the importance of chis truce, and the great good that it spelled.
One of the Treaty’s benefits was the protection of the weak Muslims in
Mecea, and the preservation of their blood, which would otherwise have

223

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

been spilled had fighting broken out, because they were livin

the unbelievers. Another of its benefits was that it was a cause "8
of the unbelievers of Quraysh to embrace Islam because of the unc?
spent with these Muslims who lived among them. This inspired 2
£0 to Medina, the centre of faith and Islam, and hear from the Mens?
the sayings of the Prophet &, and the clear miracles he had perf
and the beautiful story of his life, and the open call to his prophethost
and al! the other things that caused them to enter AllshS wligion =”
droves. The Muslims realised after all chis that their being barred fn
the Sacred House and forced to turn home may have appeared + deh
but was in facta great triumph and source of power for them. Thus Ake
debased the idolaters where they had sought glory, and overwhelmed
them where they had sought triumph: ‘Yer glory belongs to Allah, and to
His Messenger, and to the believers" [63:8].

224

pet Fv The Perfection of His Political ang Military Lead
I Leadership

His & Perrect Courage

snace 1s one of the lftiese of virtues; indeed
C orp the guardian ofthe virtues, defending them foo
Aa chem. Our Lord ap alloted His prophets (upon whe
rove ace) a greater share of this courage, just 2s He gave sh,
sod peel the virtues. gel
sha cas it Was alas His wise way to give them this unr

* courage iS thac whenever He wants to assign a task to s ane
of courhim for this Cask, and gives him the power he soem’: He
pePatpe task of the prophets, which Allah has given to them, sree
Now fd tothe ruth; and cis call annot be male without he
ranting his people with what he has been sent to convey, ane
« : 5 and askin
cry to yield 0 It and to cast aside their current way, never vo eh

hem.

however would like 0 see how courageous the prophets were eed
only rexd what the Holy Quen says on the matter. Take our marer
yids, who said co his people, as Allah Almighty cells ws: el lok
wimmess; and witness You, that Tam quit of that which you ascribe as parsnert
sides Hirn; s0 try your guile on me, all of you, and give me no respite [11-54-
5).
‘hod take our master Misi: when his people said to him ‘We sbull be
ang (26:6) he replied bravely: ‘Nay! My Lord is with me; He shall guide
ne [26:62].

‘The prophets were the bravest of all people, and he was one of the
prophets, and thus ws, alongside chem, the bravest of people, Indeed, he
was the bravest of all the prophets, because he was sent to all mankind
while the prophers who came before him were only sent to their own
people; and the divine wisdom would nor apportion equal amounts of
courage to one who stands before some people and one who stands before
all people.

So in his courage, steadfastness and firmness in the face of the most
axful terrors, he #& had the highest position which no other can attain,
and whose summit no one can know but He who gave it to him. It was
because of this that he 4 participated in all the many battles he attended
in bis military life; and it is not known that he ever held back from his
position even a single foot, or a single finger’s breadch. This made him,

C say thar
hat would
« blessings
'eM a greacer

225

for his Companions, a leader who inspired the utmost confidence

obedience. so that the young and old of them alike would he auc”
heed his signals ~ not only because he was the Messenger of Allah, he.
because of the courage they witnessed from him, which made their ona
valour seem like nothing so chem in comparison, despite the fact the
many of them were heroes in their own right, whose courage has become
the stuff of legend Our master ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib & attested to this
complete frankness when he said: ‘When times became hard, and eye
became red, we would seek the protection of the Messenger of Allah
s0 that no one would be closer to the enemy than he.’ -
‘An example of this is the tale narrated by Jabir &, who said:

said to him: ‘Do you fear me? The Prophet # sa
“But who will protect you from me?" He rep!

Another example of this is what he & did with Ubayy ibn Khalaf'at the
Battle of Uhud, when that accursed man spurred his horse towards the
Messenger of Allah $&, and some men from among the Muslims made
to stop him, Yer the Prophet & said, ‘Let him come!’ He then took a
spear from the companion al-Larith ibn al-Simma, and leapt forward
with it, whereupon they scattered like flies from a holting camel's back
The Prophet # then turned to Ubayy and thrust him in the neck witha
thrust that made him sway atop his horse several times. Ubayy returned
to his people and said, ‘Muhammad § has slain me!’ They cold him he
was fine, bur Ubayy replied: ‘If whar afflicts me now were co affice
people, it would surely kill them! Did he not say: “Ie is T who wills
you”? By Allah, had Muhammad but spat upon me, he would have slain

Another example of this is found in the words of our master Anas &,
as narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim: “The Messenger of Allah $ was

226

my

deribyy

wa Five: The Perfection of His Political and My
tary be
of people, the most generous,
were dlarmed [by a strange soun
n rards the source of the sound, and me
oat ray back, For he had gone before then
ding, bareback on one of Abu Tath;s he What wa,
saying “Worry ni * Ronse, hi
his & great and famous
wother of stands ~
saa heck onthe day ofthe Bue och Bl ge
and the Qur'an ~ relate that all save ; faa AI Bokharang

asl ~
took flight and left him on that day. Al-Bukhin and Mus,
ae
chat a Alias

pwas riding a mule, and Muslim's p,
“When the Muslims and unbe sedis bes %

‘oak flights whereupon the Messenger of Allah fie he Musi
he disbelievers; and I had hold of the macnn SP

5 sw

‘
tei bale, eying to slow ie dow Messenger of Ali
‘Arulhart and Muslim also ogre ha be cas tay

is

an the fces of the unbelievers. Musi rareea
i maser Salama ibm al-Akwal , that he gor vy
shan of ust, and saids'Abaced hehe fs
wee, Every single one of them found his eyes led
handful, and chey turned their heels and ed, reed ine from thar
‘Another of Muslin’s narrations has it chat aAbbis ¢ <u iq
assoon as he flung bis pebbles at them I sw them hagas Ala
seer” Another narration of Mustim has tha be gine foe!
the pebbles ‘Be routed, by the Lord ofthe Kdbi! Be unt «pe ft®8
of the Ka bal” eds by the Lord
‘They also agree that he s

inging tr into ther

ar that crucial moment:

Tam the Prophet, no lie!
Tam the scion of ‘Abd al-Murral

AiBukhari and Muslim also agree that their enemies were archers
and the Qur'an tells us that in the end the tide curned in fvcur of the
believers. They also agree that this took place after his Compuninns had
returned to him 4, responding to the rallying-cry he fa had commanded
his uncle aHAbbas to make.

227

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

His & Perrect MIvirary
LEADERSHIP

en ons looks at the Prophet's & biography and how he waged
W ary campaigns and dealt with his enemies, one sees ma

events that show the greatness of his leadership and his perfect knowlegy™
and expertise in che ways of warfare, and his excellent management of
armies, even though he did not study the arts of war or military science in
any school or academy. This can clearly be seen in the battles he foughy,
the defensive plans he drew up, and che military tactics he established,
On many occasions he gained victory though his army was the smaller
and he entered Mecca, the netve-centre of the enemy's campaigns and
plots, as a conqueror, and he defeated the Jews and put an end to ther
influence after they had reneged on so many of their treaties and refused
to stop their plotting and scheming. His policy was not one of aggression,
subjection and wrongdoing, but rather one of defence, resistance and

justice.
In all this, Allah combined in the Prophet # perfect character, sound

polity, and impeccable management, so that all things were pur in their
proper places.

‘One occasion that showed his & military brilliance, leadership and
concern was when he arrayed the ranks and inspected the troops at
the Battle of Badr, straighcening the ranks of his Companions himself,
with an arrow in his hand to direct them; he would tell one to come
forward, and another to go back. As he was straightening the ranks, he
commarded Sawad ibn Ghaziyya to stand in line, and pricked him in his
belly with the arrow as he did so, Sawad said, 'O Messenger of Alls,
you have hurt me, and Allah has sent you with truth and justice, so ge
ime my requital’ The Messenger of Allah $ laid his belly bare and said,
“Take it’ Sawid stooped and embraced the Prophet $, and kissed his
belly instead. “What made you do that, Sawad?, said the Prophet. Sawad
answered: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we are now faced with what you see,
and I desired thar at my final moment with you, my skin should touch
your skin’, and the Prophet & besceched Allah to bless him.

‘And on the day of Uhud, he inspected the troops, accepting some and
sending others back: Usima ibn Zayd, ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Umar, Zayd ibn

228

‘Abii Sa‘id al-Khudri and others presented theraselves to him, and
hem all back.

Jgo arrayed the ranks 1nd flanks of his Companions on the day
af ubuds 50008 UP che necessary protection at the rear of the Muslims,
nd commanding the archers ro remain at their posts at all costs, no
cer what condition they saw their brothers in arms to be in, watil they
oe ived a command from him # to do otherwise. He was among the
foremost Strategist of the arts and ways of war, utilising the best means
feat and rour che enemy by causing discord among them, breaking
sheir ranks, wearing them down and hemming them in,

‘An example of this is how he & accepted al-Hubab ibn al Mundhir's
plan 2 Badr. When the Prophet $& arrived at Badr, he stopped and
aiaounced atthe first well they came to. AbHlubab said: “O Mestenger
sf All, has this place becn revealed to you from Allah as the only place
or may sxop, so that we cannot go beyond itor pull back from it, or isi
wr ey a matter of opinion, war and strategy? The Prophet J& answered
that it was merely a matter of opinion, war and strategy. Al-Hubab then
(aid: Tn that case, O Messenger of Allah, this is not the best place to
halt, Let us continue on until we reach the well nearest ro the enemy,
fake there, and stop the well up and build a cistern upon it, and fill it
with water, 60 that we can drink whilst they cannot’ The Messenger of
Allah & said, “Your opinion is indeed sound’, and he went with some men
to the nearest well to the enemy and halted there, stopped up the well,
a cistern upon it. It filled with water, and each man filled his
drinking vessel from it.

‘Another famous example of his leadership in this field was how he sent
people to spread discord in the ranks of the enemy to sabotage them. One
such occasion was at the Battle of the Confederates, when Nulaym ibn
Masiid al-Ashjaii & came to the Prophet § and said: ‘I have embraced
Islam, and my people do not know it; command me to do as you please.”
He & replied: “You are but one man among us, so draw them off ws if you
can, for war is deception. Go and sow discord among the ranks of the
enemy, and use your wiles to disrupt thet

Nofaym went to Banii Qurayza, a Jewish clan with whom he had been

phabic
he sent
He #?

229

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

friendly, and said 10 them: ‘You know of my love for you, and the spect
relationship we have, ‘You speak the truth,’ they said, ‘you are be
suspicion in our eyes.’ He told them that Quraysh and Chatatin beg
come from Mecca and gathered near Medina, preparing to attack 1h
Prophet J& and his Companions, and that the Bani Qurayza, Jews whe
resided in Medina had alteady agreed to join them in that. “They are
like you, he said; ‘the city is your city, and in it are yout possessions and
your women and children. You cannor flee elsewhere. If they have the
chance to prevail, they will take it; otherwise, they will return home
leaving you to him [Muhammad and his Companions] in your own
city; and you do not have the power to stand against him alone. Do not
fight with them unless they give you some of their noblemen as hostage,
as a guarantee that you will continue to fight Muhammad wich them
until you defeat him.’ They approved of Nu‘aym’s plan.

Nuaym then went ro Quraysh and said to Aba Sufyin: ‘You know of
my love for you and my dispute with Muhammad. Something has come
to my attention which I feel dury bound to pass on to you, as sincere
keep, then, my secret.’ They agreed. Nu‘aym said: ‘The Jews
regret what they have done, and have sent a message to Muhanimad
telling him so, and offering to appease him by seizing some noblemen of
Quraysh and Ghataffin and slaying them, and then joining him ro fight
the rest until they are utterly destroyed. And Muhammad has accepted
their offer! Therefore, if the Jews request hostages from you, do not give
them a single man.’

Nulaym then went to Ghatafin and said: “You are my people and my
clan, and the people I love most, and I do not imagine chat you could ever
mistrust me. ‘You speak the truth,’ they said, ‘you are beyond suspi
in our eyes. “Keep then my secret,’ Nuaym said. They agreed, and he cold
them the same thing he had rold Quraysh.

‘Allah decreed for His Messenger & that Abi Sufyan and the heads of
Gharafan sent Tkrima with a delegation representing the two tribes to the
Banii Qurayza, with the message: ‘We are not residents of this land, and
our camels and horses are exhausted. Prepare for battle, that we might
set upon Muhammad and settle our conflict with him. So the Jews of
Qurayza sent a message back to Quraysh and Ghatafin; ‘Ieis the Sabbath,
and we shall not break it, for some of us broke it once and there befell
them that which you yourselves need not fear [ie. they were destroyed].

230

part Five: The Perfection of His Political and Military Leaders
eadersbip

¢, we shall not fight alongside you until you pve
we have defeated Mubaimad fe ct
; t

‘:bactle becomes too hard for you, you will

sai the surounding aes) and Tee esa a} home

Ben teh pe ee
‘By Allah, what Nu‘aym said was true!” So they sent'a nec t
juni Qurayzs ‘By Allah, we shall not fight alongside you an,

ie Bo us hostages! They reused, and thus Ah died thems nd te

cea erce wind upon them ona sorely cold night wheh ees

Bs y theie pots, 10re down their tents, and set chem Recing. a

231

—

MUHAMMAD f& THE PERFECT MAN

Tue Tactics He & EmMpPLoyenD To

ConcEAL THINGS FROM His ENEMIES

TT Propner §& would conceal his war strategies from his enemies
so that they would not be aware of chem and prepare defences
against them, of recruit extra troops. In doing so, he ensured hat many
lives were spared.

Ka'b ibn Malik sai

“The Messenger of Allah f& never set out for g

‘At the Batile of Badr, he went himself to seek out information about
Quraysh: he and Abi Bakr & rode until they found an Arab elder, whom
they questioned abour Quraysh, Mubammad and his Companions, and
all he had heard about them. The old man said: ‘I shall tell you nothing
until you identify yourselves, The Prophet & replied: ‘If you tell us, we
tell you. ‘Quid pro quot’, asked the man. ‘Yes’, said the Prophet &,
The old man said: *] have heard that Muhammad and his Companions
went out on [such-and-such} day; and if the one who told me was telling
the uruth, they are today in [the place where che Messenger of Allah #
indeed was]. I also heard that Quraysh went out on [such-and-suct] day;
and if the one who told me was telling the truth, they are today in the
place where Quraysh indeed were]

When he had finished telling what he knew, he asked, "Where are you
from?’. The Messenger of Allah % replied: “We are from water’, and then
they departed. ‘From water?’, said the man to himself. ‘Does he mean
from [raq?"

Another example of his wise strategy was that when Quraysh violated
the Treary of Hudaybiyya, they sent Aba Sufyan to Medina to ask the
Prophet @ to renew the pact and extend its duration. Upon arriving, he
said: ‘O Muhammad, I was absent from the Treaty of Eludaybiyya, so I
have come to renew it. The Prophet f said: ‘That is why you have come?”
‘Abu Sufjan said yes. ‘Has something happened? asked the Prophet #
‘Allah forbid? said Abii Sufyan, ‘we remain steadfast upon our pact and
our treaty, and have not erred from it at all. The Prophet % replied:
‘Then it still stands.’

7 Al-Bukhari, Mustin

232

is rightly-guided propheti
hold this igh Prophetic course of ac
le ‘aha Sufyan for breaking the pace, nor ical He & did not
oe they would Not begin thinking of war or making tide on him, so
ge of this, they were not aware of it until the ree Ions for ir
Mecca with his armies, Phet & had almost

233

MUHAMMAD @ TH PERFECT MAN

His #& Concern FOR KNOWING THE
Conpition, NUMBERS, PREPAREDNESS
AND News oF His ENEMIES BEFORE
MEETING THEM IN CoMBAT

AL tiie Bartle of Badr, the Prophet & senc ‘Ali, Zubayr, and Suid
ibn Abi Wagqis in a delegation of his Companions to the wells of
Badr to undertake a reconnaissance mission for him. They found the
water-bearers of Quraysh there, and seized two of them. the Prophet $
began to question them himself, asking them about Quraysh. ‘By Allah;
they answered, ‘they are behind the far bank of yonder dune.’ He asked
how many there were, and they answered that there were many. ‘How
many do they number?’, he asked. They said they did not know. ‘How
many [animals] do they slaughter a day?’, he asked. ‘Sometimes nine and
sometimes ten’, they answered. The Prophet & said: ‘Then there are
between nine hundred and one thousand of them.’ He then asked them,
“What noblemen of Quraysh are among them?’ They replied: “Utba ibn
Rabi'a, Shayba ibn Rabi'a, Aba al-Bakhtari ibn Hashim, Haki in
Hayzam, Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid, Aba Jahl, Umayya ibn Khalaf, abNadr
ibn al-Harith’; and they listed other chieftains of Quraysh besides these
The Messenger of Allah & went to the people and said: ‘Behold, Mecca
has thrown unto you the dearest morsels of her liver!"**

‘And at the Battle of Hunayn, before che fighting had begun, He #
approached ‘Abdallah ibn Abi Hadrad al-Aslami and commanded him
to go to the enemy and stay with them, and bring back tidings of them,
He set off and entered their camp, and circled about them, gathering
information to cake back. One thing he had heard was Malik saying
to his companions: ‘Muhammad has never really fought anyone before
now; he has only encountered whelps with no knowledge of warfare, and
thus defeated them. On the morrow, bring out your livestock, women
and children and array ther behind you, and then get in ranks. Let
the attack come from you, and break che sheaths of your swords, so
that you meet them with twency thousand sheath-broken swords Wage

4% That is, ‘has sene you her dearest sons.

234

an, and know that victory comes to those

tack to the Messenger of Allah and unk se

as one ™
‘old him what he

d.
near pace of the Confederates, the Messenger of Al

and . to discover news of the enemy. Hudhayfz Hirai cree
pudhay’ dangerous mission: “We were with the Messenger ral a
fh, and he % said: “Will any man go and see for hs hi ae

auibe Trem ad chen return? The Messenger of Allah dgeatin ug
- and Task Allah that he be my companion in Paredes

ac inl forward, Bees oftheir inense fear, ge and
Fen no one carne forward, the Messenger of Allah called ae
ad WEF no choice but co come forward when he called me. “Hudhayfy
wT gp and ent amid the people and see what they are éSlige and
pe hing before coming 0 us” So T went and entered their midst and
found chat the wind and Allah’s other hosts had been unleashed upon
them, not leaving 2 single pot, fire or structure of theirs alone. Aba
rrpan stood up and sat, “People of Quraysh! Let each of you lok ose
iting companion is!” I took the hand of the man next to me

who your 5° ”
ind said, “WhO are you? He told me his name. Aba Sufyin then said:

“people of Quraysh! By Allah, you are not in your place of residence, and
the camels and horses are exhausted, and Bant Qurayza have betraved
ts, and we have heard something about them which displeases us. The
wad has assailed us as you have all seen, leaving no pot unturned, ao
fre burning, and no structure standing, Be gone, chen, for | am surch,
yping” He went to his camel, whose leg was tied, and sat upon it. He
then spurred it, and it stood up on threc legs; by Allah, he did not even
untie the cord binding its leg wacil it was standing! Had the Messenger of
‘Allah § not commanded me to do nothing until I came to him, I would
he slain him with an arrow. | then returned to the Messenger of Allah
f and found him standing in prayer. I told him what I had seen; and
Ghayafin heard what Quraysh had done, and they too hurried off home.
Now this story of our master Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman should not be
mistaken for the story of our master al-Zubayr; the latter says that alk
Zabayr went to find out if the Bani Qurayza had reneged on cheir pact

a
and [hi

235

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

with the Muslims by agreeing to fight alongside Queaysh against the
Muslims. Al-Bukhari and others narrate, on the authority of Jabir, that
the Prophet & said on the day of the Confederates: ‘Who shall bring me
news of them?, meaning the Band Qurayza, as al-Wic

Al-Zubayr said: ‘I shall,’ He then said again, ‘Who shall bring me news
of them?" ‘I shall’, said al-Zubayr. He then said a third time, ‘Who g

ig me news of them?" ‘T sh | al-Zubayr. The Prophet % then
said: ‘Every prophet has a disciple (bawari

is said co mean

the word used in the Qur'in for the Disciples of Christ &.
‘worthy vieegerent’ or ‘helper’ (Fath al-Bari. (¢]

236

part Five The Perfection of Hts Political and Ay ae
Ty Leade

rsbip

His # USE OF TurEats AND FEAR
[NSPIRING WARNINGS To His ENEMtEs
BEFORE MEETING TueEy ty Barrie

NOTHER BXAMPLE of his & strategy in this ,
he came to Wadi Fatima he ordered every M
raysh would see them and alarmed by how many
jc ten chousand fires, and wes Abu Sufyin saw them, dre
fefeeand be said, ‘What are all these fires, ike the res of

their exseom C0 light fires on the night of ‘Arafa)

‘Abi Sufyan and Budayl ibn Warqi’ had set out cha night 10 conduct
seconnaissance; and the sight of the fires had a profound effect oo them,
They began speaking about it with concer, feat and erieyy oh
yas aimajor reason for Abt Sufyan's eventual response and his request for
fecurity from the Messenger of Allah % for the Meccans

Another example of his great strategy in barcle was his enncuncemenr
thac whoever encered AbU Sufjan’s house would be guaranteed safery.
This was the height of good strategy and wisdom, ;

His & wise strategy was also manifested when he ordered al“Abbis to
beep Aba Sufyan at the narrow end of the valley so that he would see
all's hosts passing before him. As each tribe passed with its banner,
Abi Sufyin asked al-Abbas who they were. AHAbbas later recounted.
said, “That is Sulaym’, and he said, “What have I to do with Sulaym?
‘Then another tribe passed and he asked me who they were, [ told him
it was Muzayna, and he said, “What have I 0 do with Murayna?" This
vent on until all the tribes had gone by; with every tribe that passed, be
asked me who they were, and when I told him he said, “What have | to
dq with them?” And when the Messenger of Allah & passed by in his
green company of the Emigrants and Helpers, of whom only the eyes
were visible because of their stecl armour, he said: “Glory be 10 Allah!
‘Abbis, who are they?” I said: “That is the Messenger of Allah & with
the Emigrants and Helpers.” He said: “No one could have any power or
might over them!

Another example is what he did with the Bani Nadir when they locked

They looked green because of their steel armour |t]

237

—ee

a
part Five: The Perfection of His Political and Mily
Ory Lea

dersbip
Part Six

themselves in their fortresses, He # laid siege to them and orde, d ERFECTION
their date-palms be cut and burned; now he & only did this ne ie THE P oF His £ Ernics IN
of them, and left the rest unharmed. The Qur'an then condoned f; DING AND TEACHr
& action, both the cutting of some and the sparing of the rest, aie Gu NG THE Musiiy
“Whatever palm-rrees you cut down, or left standing upon their roots, shar °° MUNITY, AND His Kinpy
by Allab’sieave' [59:5] ae Com ¥ss Towarps

Avi oF THEM GENERALLY, anp Towarps
His FAMILY AND Companions EsPeciatty

“And bad you been barsh and hard-h
they would bave scattered from ‘bois yo i)

m

238 239

Tue Most ComPLete Hapitu on

THE PrRopHETic CHARACTER

he of the most complete descriptions we have of the Prophet g
is the hadith that al-Husayn J& relaced from his father ‘Ali ibn Abs
&, in which he spoke about many aspects of his & character. With
respect to his f& interactions with others and the way he would behave
towards them, ‘Ali & says in this famous hadith:

“His custom regarding the part of his time he devoted to his community
was to give preference to the people of distinction, and to divide his time
according to their religious merit. Some of chem had one need to ask of
him, others two, others more; so he would busy himself with them, and
would engage them with that which would benefit them, and the whole
community, answering their questions, and informing them of what
was required of them, saying: “Let he who is witness to this inform those
who are absent; and let me know the need of those who are unable to
tet me know themselves, for he who informs a ruler of the need of those
who cannot speak for themselves will have his feet made firm for him by
Allah on the Day of Resurrection.” Nothing clse would be mentioned
in his presence, and he would not accept anything else from anyone.
People would go to him searching, and would not leave except having
been granted a taste*®; they would go out as guides to the good.

* “He woutd busy himself wich chem’ means that he would be busy with answering theie
requests and quescions, and meeting their needs; and “he would engage them’ means that he
them to those things wherein lay their benefit. What this means is that he &
che commnuniry, and he would

would dire
would nor lee single moment pass without giving uny benefit
not leave his companions idle, but would engage them with what was good for chem, and for
the whole community.

> This meane chat people would visit him in search of what would benefic their rchgious
ives, and ameliorate their souls, and teach them their way to Felicity; and by che

9 & then asked his father about what the P

sia 0 ropher's
a hen be was out of the house. ‘Ali & replied: "The Nea
wah g would hold his tongue, except in regard to matters that

vcened him.’ He would make people feel comfortable,
rightea them off He would honour the noblemen cf ae
eqnr ustiNg their people to them.” He would be cautious of people,
eae careful around them, without denying any of them his cheer
am pon and fine characte." He would mis is Companis im thee
sk people about others.** He would praise what was good

absence and
anor » and deplore it.

bee ener emcee Hvar tauren
“ha the people would be become heedless, or distracted. He was Prepared
foany situation." He never fell shore of the truth, nor went beyond it

“The people who were close to him were the best of people; and the
gaesc of them in his sight were the ones who sincerely advised the most
people; and the greatest of them in his ight were the ones who were the

‘ame they lef, they would have been honoured, and chee requests granted.
B Sahe & would onty speak about chings that concerned him.

2 Hed would make chem comforcable by his kind companionship and plezcant eanversation,
gel would not frighten them off by being coarse, or harsh, ar using hurtful words

® Thats, he wookd honour the nobleman of a t
hath was due; and he #& would place hum ina position
ther airs to him. This was born of his good yudgment and acumen, and his appreciation for
ss.

That is, he would be cautious around ehase people who were new to Islam, without
recing them with weighty matters; and he would be careful around chem, without denying
thom hit kind companionship and pleasant conversavion, and his & cheery dispostuon
"That 1s, he f& would especially miss his companions, and would also ask after the whole
rommunity in general. He would ask those people who knew about others, and about what state
they were in, whether good or bad, or in comfort oF poverty, or ease or hardship, or happiness
arp, und he & would rejoice at what made them rejo ve over what made them
wise, and would strive to assist them with their problems and mufortunes.

® ‘This means that all of his words and deeds & were completely balanced.

sk ise, he was well prepared; and for every eveotuality, he

For every sltuation that might
sms ready with whatever he needed for
So he & was perfectly upright upon the side of truth, neither negligent nor excessive,
‘ther filling short of the truth not going beyond it; and this was che case fo all of his fais
(Ow Master Mubarmad, Volume 2. p. 41).

243

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT May

ent, and helpful”
Camels when asked his ther abour che Propher’s
eds The Messenger of Allah would not sit or 4
Of Allah a». He would not reserve places i: tha

ieee frkade others from doing so. When he came co a gig. th
srl, he ould ac wherever he found plas, and would eR
Pere oda the same, He would give everyone he sat with they mal
his company, so that ao obe he sat with Would imagine thar hae
dearer to him than them. If anyone sat down wich him, or fou he Mas
siege in something, be would bear wich them patiently, ung op hs
the ones co leave. Were

“T ameone asked him for anything, they would not leave
sither what ehey asked, or 2 Feassuring word. He accom:
people wth his kindness and good character, and became likes
Pe them: and before him, they were all equal. His gathering, SM
fathering of knowledge, modesty, patience, and security, Voices
raced therein, nor were honours afronted,“* nor were any sins pom
The people were equal; they would compete for precedence accor ea
to their piety. They were humble, revering the elderly, having mercy =
the young, They would pur the needy frst, and take good care ff.
stranger”

AkHuayn & then asked his father about the Prophet's & manne
with those whom he sat with. ‘AI replied: “The Messenger of Ath
was always cheery of disposition, easy-going, and compassionate. He wae
ne boorish, or coarse, or raucous, of vulgar, or critical or niggardly, he
did not over-praise® or jest.

Betherings

eXCEDE With
Modated the

5 That is, his perience would outlast the one who was sitting with him or secking hy
count, howere long they spoke for; and he f& would never be the first to stand up and lave
fr stop the canversarion; and he would not reveal ro them any sign of boredom or weariness,
5 Thus means that peoples honovss were not disparaged in his & gatherings, nor wae
they exposed to defamation or slander or the like. Rather, his gatherings were fee of all ugly
apeech and evil conduct

5 The word here is flat, which means the errors or sins a person makes. Whar is meant
bore is that no sins were commitzed in his gatherings in the first place, since none of thox
‘who artended his & gathersags comraitted any sins there that could have been disclosed; cater,
the gatherings were places of decorusn and virtue

"2 That ie, he & would not criticise people, animals, or food.

38 Heedid net over-peaise the lawful enjoyments af this worid,

2446

ix: The Perfection of His & Ethics in Guiding and Teaching
part Ste:

spnote that which he disliked.** He would nor dash the hopes

Ne a ed for something from him, and they would not be
of 0 tye withheld from himself three things: debate, excess, and
Peed nt concern him; and he withheld from the people three
Cra oe null never criticise or disparage anyone, and he would not
things ne anyone, and he would not speak abouc anything unless he
sok 1 Si cnarded (by Allah) frit. When he spoke, his companions
rope how their heads as chough upon them were birds; and when he
we oe ehey would speak. They would not talk over one another in his
Ae dhey would give their atention to whoever was speaking until
Pr rthed, and cher discoure in his presence was the discourse of the
A them,” He would laugh at what made chem laugh, and marvel at
ti they marveled a, Hle would bear the coarse speech and questioning
rserangers, 60 that even his Companions would be keen to bring them
iim He would say: *If you see a person in aced, help them.” He
weld never accept praise except chat which was appropriate.” He would
er sop anyone fom speaking until chey had gone on far too long, in
vibich case he would stop them either with a word, or by stand

‘Another aspect of his & perfect etiquette in dealing with people is that
ne would ignore che inane remarks of those who sought to sow discord,
and accept their statements at face value, even if they were expressions of
their fou! intentions and evil desires,

One example of this was the occasion when a group of Jews came
che Messenger of Allah §& and greeced him with the words ab
sim ‘alaykum (‘death be upon you), to which Wisha responded: ‘Nay,
upon you be death and curse’ ‘The Prophet f said co her: ‘Allah loves
gentleness in all things’ ‘Did you not hear what they said2', che asked
him. He replied: ‘I said and upon you."

Hee & knew full well that they said sam (death’) instead of salam
(peace) deliberately (and on another occasion they said silém, which

‘stone but he took their words at face value, while preserving the

means ‘stone’

% He would ignore and pay no mind ro any speech or behaviour that he disliked on the part
of is companions atthe gathering, out of kindness and tenderness for them.
Te is, te fe person to epeak at the garhcring would be the first to have arrived.
at is, che Companions would seck co bring strangers to the Propher’s gatherings fk 10
thar chey could benefit from the questions they would ask, pees

‘That rise that was balanced, nether exageratd nor understated
us

245

dignity of the

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT Man

Muslims by answering ‘and upon you,

246

His #& KinpDNESs TO
His FAMILY AND RELATIVES

ax PROPHET $B was a kind companion to his wives and the rest
T of bis family, treating them with benevolence, amiabilicy, love and
generosity He encouraged us ro do the samme, saying: “The best of you are
the best to their fa and I am the best of you ro my family", and
“The believers with the most complete faith are they who have the best
characters, and are the kindest to their families.™

Our lady ‘isha was asked how he #& was when alone with his household,
and said: "He was the mildest of people, smiling and laughing."

(One example of the kind companionship he && gave his family is found in
the words of our lady ‘Aisha ch, narrated in the Sabib: ‘I was playing with
dolls in the Prophet's & house, along with some playmates of mine. When
the Prophet & came in, they would hide from him in another room, of
behind a curtain, and he would send them to me one by one to play with me.

At-Hifig Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bari:

This hadith is proof that it is permissible to make dolls for girls to play
hy; this is an exception to the prohibition of making images. This was
‘Tyad's opinion, which he attributed to the majority of scholars, saying
that they allow for such toys to be sold for girls to teach them, while they
are still young, the affairs of the household and children. Some scholars
say that this was abrogated.

Abmad narrated, on the authority of ‘A’isha, chat the Prophet #& came
to her while she was playing with dolls and a toy horse. He asked her
what it was, and she said ‘It is the horse of Sulayman’, and he smiled at
what she said.

$ ALTiemidti.

* ALTirmidhi.

s0 Ibn Sid.

58 Imam Afmad declared It to be singular (gherid).

MUHAMMAD d& THE PERFECT MAN

, the dolls were in ‘A’isha’s

Sabib also relares that lls 2's possess
pee betrothed xo her. Al-Safarini quotes Ibn Hazm as ae When,
rrrdcen alone are permitted 10 play with images, and ng one ¢y,8 Mt
that aside from chis all images are forbidden, even if they are embrox

on cloth."
‘Another examp!
was the story, rel

Je of the kind companionship he & gave to f
ared by ab-S@ib ibn Yazid, of how a woman ¢
the Messenger of hs, who s iO ‘Aisha, do you know her? Ny,
Prophet of All she replied. ‘She is a songstress of [suchang. 2!
trike]. Would you like her to sing for you?” Wisha said yes, and the w, 0"
sang for her. sae: aish

Look at this model of prophetic kindness; he & sent for so
sing for ‘Nisha, doing it for her without her having to ask.

TAyother example of the kind companionship he $& gave to his fy
was when he raced with his wife ‘Aisha. He raced ber once and she n>
him; and chen after some time had passed he called her to race hn
again. As our lady Aisha tells it, T had grown fat and plump by thee
ahd he won the race, and began to laugh, saying, “This [pays you bey
for tha!”

He was also at his family’s service, helping chem with their househeig
tasks. He would also listen to his wives and joke and laugh wich them
with amiability and kindness. He once listened to a story about ten women
who each vowed to cell all about cheir husbands, each of them describing
her husband, borh the good and the bad. The one telling this story was
his wife, our lady ‘isha &, and he listened to her raptly and attentively

‘We should not neglect to mention also his #& kindness to his foster-mother
Halima al-Saidiyya and her daughter (his sister by nursing) Shaymi, And
hecause of these two, he was generous and kind to the whole Bani Sid
tribe; thus she was the most blessed woman for her people.

family
Came to

Meone 9

AbSabsrini, Sharh Maviomat alsAdab.
ined, al Tabarini.

Al-Bukhasi,

8° Abhukhaci and Muslim, Sec Our ayer Mubsmmad &, Volume 1, pp 73-78 for the ser

248

His #& Kinp Way oF
Conversinc WITH PEOPLE

HE PROPHET & would always listen attentively to those who spoke

T to him or asked him questions, and would welcome them and treat
em kindly. :

ee said: ‘I never saw the Prophet £ speak to a man in confidence,

then turn his head away from him; the other man would always be che

one to curn away first.
‘And ‘Amr ibn al-As said:
face rowards and converse with even the most wicked of people,

to gain their affection.*

“The Messenger of Allah # would curn his
in order

WHEN GREETING PEOPLE

When he & greeted someone and shook his hand, he would not let go
| the other man let go.** He was the cheeriest of people in countenance,

until
. he would

and the quickest ro smile. When someone approached h
welcome them, He once said to ‘Ammar when he approached hit
“Welcome to the good, swectly-perfumed one!’ When his Companions
came to sit with him, he would ask after them, saying ‘How are you?
‘When the person responded : Tam well, praise be to Allah!’, the Prophet
4 would reply: ‘May Allah make you well!’ When a nobleman or well-
respected person came to set him, he would honour them and spread
his cloak and robe out for them to sit on. One day Jarir al-Bajali came
to visit him, but could not find a space because of all the Companions in
attendance, and so sat at the door. The Messenger of Allah & took off his
cloak and offered it co him, Jarir took it, and drew it to his face and began
to kiss it, weeping. He cossed it back to the Prophet , and said: ‘I would
never sit on your clothes; may Allah honour you, as you have honoured

Abi Dawud
Al-Tiemidhi, al-Tabarini,
Al-Bazzir, al-Tabarani.
AlTirmidhi

EeSES

249

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT Man

ine The Prophet fe ooked right and let, and sai
é hie!

oul ao mle elders t0 speak or ask questions fs
cee cis people, saying: ‘Make way forthe eldest, make
us would always extend, to those who sat with him
veholesome companionship with both his words and his manne,
viking chem of rpresing them. If they spoke about some tt
sid jon chem in conversation, 2 long a8 Wa not ofa siggy
Ean ibn Zayd ssid (Quoting his father: "When we would spe
the life of this world, he would speak abour it with us; and yhoo
spoke about the Hereafter, he would speak about it with us;
spoke about food, he would speak about it with us.”

Fabir a Samura sad: ‘The Companions] would speak about hy
of ignorance, and chey would laugh; and he would smile with then ®

He would also joke ith his Companions to amuse ¢
example of this was the occasion when a man came to him
ce anima) to ride. He & said to him: ‘I will give you the
camel.’ Messenger of Allah,’ the man replied, ‘whar
son ofashe-camel? The Prophet J replied: ‘Are camels bora of amy he
but she-camels?"* oe

He § would also joke with a man from the countrysi
saying: ‘Zahir is our councryside, and we are his townsfolt

Tn Bikir narrated, on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam, that 1 woman
amed Umm Ayman al-Hlabashiyya came to the Messenger of Allah
saying: My husband invites you.”“Who is your husband? he asked, ste
the one with the white in his eyes?”

“There is no whiteness in his eyes, she said. ‘Indeed, there certains
athiteness in bis eyes, he replied. ‘No, by Allah’, she said. The Prophet
said: Everyone has whiteness in cheir eyes!"™

‘Another example was che occasion when an old woman came to the
Propher i und said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, pray for me cha { will eter

‘Ifa noble
Man
Ome

before
th
YY for he

» Felaed ang

hem, One

PEPER S

AlTirmidhi.
le. the white of the eye that surrounds the iris. [t]

250

para Stas The Perfecion of Hs fe Exhicr im Guiding and Teaching
part Si:

ied; ‘O mother of so-and-so, no old woman will enter
Parad Laan turned to go, weeping, but then the Prophet #
Paradise oy that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah
a el says [faithful lovers, equal in age) [56:37].»” This means that
ae be the same age.
de pent also frequently smile in his Companions’ faces when he
1 rand conversed with them, our of kindness co chem and a desire

feel comfortable.

aa conan dy saids’AbU al-Dardal would always smite when he spoke,
aaj wT said to him: “Stop, for people say you are 2 madman!” Abi
a edi suid: “T never saw or heard the Messenger of Allah & speak
arse that he smiled”? So Aba al-Dardi! would smile when he spoke,
folowing the example of the Messenger of Allah J. e

‘A man named ‘Abdallah but known to the Companions as Himar

(Donkey) used to make the Messenger of Allah & laugh. He would

ira skin of clarified butter or honey and give it to che Messenger of
Allah, and chen later bring its owner and say, ‘Pay him for it!” Our
Sheikh, aF-Kattani, mentions in al-Tardtib that his biography is given in
“iLlsaba, as is the biography of Suwaybit ibn Harmala alAbdari, who also
gor up to many acts of tomfoolery, one of which made the Propher # and
fis Companions laugh for a whole year.""

‘Another example of the kind companionship he $ gave his Companions
was the occasion when the Abyssinians came and played with their spears
inthe mosque, and the Chosen Prophet J brought ‘A’isha to watch them,
feaning on his shoulder. One narration has it that che Abyssinians were
dancing and saying, ‘Muhammad is a righteous man!"

It is also confirmed that one of the great Companions danced before
the Prophet ashe looked on. Ibn Sa'd reporis that che Prophet & said
co Jafar: ‘You resemble me both in appearance and in character? Upon
this, Jsfar stood and danced in a circle around the Messenger of Allah #.
Aor nacaion has i tha he said co ‘A: "You are of me and Iam
of you and said to Zayd: ‘You are our brother and our liege’ All three

Al-Tirmidhi,

Abmad.

‘See Our Master Mubarmad @, Volume 1, pp 193-
Al-Bukhare serene
Abmad,

fees

254

MUHAMMAD db THE PERFECT MAN

danced around him and before him, 0

of chem i sates that Jafar and Zayd stood ang gs
aurea thie narration is sound, and a-HLiy al-Suyiy, ona
a ot the eso he {ele upon hearing those wo

z id not rebuke him. the
ipo al-Bayhagi narraved, on the authority of al-Mure
sihat che Messenger of Allah # said: Sport and ply,

ess in your religion. A ?

AHHikim narrated 00 the authority of ‘Aisha that he & saiq. «
you any amusement’ (labu|? For the Helpers love amusemen
ve hat the soul may be given recreation when itis bo
polished when it's rusty, by lawful means of amusement and play
most part, the Propher’s & laugh was no more than a smile,

ree red also be kind +0 children, greeting them and pacing
heads. He would sometimes line up ‘Abdallah, ‘Ubaydaliah, =
of the children of ‘al‘Abbas, and then say: “Whoever reache:
sin uch-and-such]. They would then race to him,
back and chest, and he would hug and kiss them.*

vand when he returned from a journey, the children of his househa
vould joyfully rush out co meet him because they knew of his kinins
vd compassion. He would sit one of chem in front of him on his hon
and another behind him &. :

He & was the most dignified, wel mannered and noble of people
Kharija ibn Zayd said: “The Messenger of Allah & was che most dignifcd
person in any gathering he actended he showed almost nothing of
himself™* This means that he & would not expel anything fom his
nose or mouth, or cut his nails.

tal i
for hae

Have
his
dag
For the

and sehen}
SME first
and jump on his g

WHEN INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE

He fa would always repay a kindness with a greater kindness. He
served the delegation of the Negus himself when they came to him. His
Companions aid to him: We will suffice you, thacis, we will ccommede
them and serve them for you. He g& said: “They were generous 10 cur

See ab Trigis Takbrifal-Say
8! Tn Hibbitn,

bm.

“Abi Diswid.

252

Part Six: The Perfection of His Exhics in Guiding and Teaching

and I would like to repay them!"

mG, would neve let a good tarn go warewarded, nor deny pee
sai kindness that anyone did for him; rather, he would remind them o!
and eepay it with something even berres. He honoured the whole tribe
wafiawitin and pardoned ther because of how one of them had nursed
ot rz and he honoured his sister-by-nursing Shaymd’ bint Halima when
arin pe to him, because of how her mother had done him the kindness

ing him,

2 also honour the friends and relations of his wife Khadija
pecause of hee goodness and favour, which he never forgot. Indeed, he
ould show gratitude for things far lesser chan that. Abt Ayyub once
saw a feathe ‘ beard and quickly took it out, whereupon he &

im: ‘May Allah remove from you all chat you dislike’*” ‘Amr ibn
Ansari saw a haif in the vessel from which the Prophet # was
drinking, and quickly took ir out, whereupon the Prophet said, ‘Allah,
make him beautiful!” The narrator said that in later years he saw ‘Ame
de the age of ninety, and there was not a single white haie in his beard.“

‘And at the Battle of Badr, he forbade that Aba al-Bakhtari ibn
Hishim be slain, in return for the generosity he had shown the Muslims
in Mecca, and how he had defended the Messenger of Allah & and refused
to persecute him; indeed, he even sent a great deal of food to the Bani
Hashim during the boycott; and when Aba Jah! rebuked him for this,
‘Aba Sufyan said, ‘Leave him alone; he is bue a noble man who looks after
his family ties” And he had striven to annul the hostile document which
Quraysh had written against the Prophet &.

He f& would also miss his Companions; and we have seen in the hadith
of Hind ibn Abi Hala™ that ‘Ali said: ‘He $ would miss his companions,
and ask people about others..." meaning that he #& would ask after them
when they were absent from him.

Anas also said: ‘If the Prophet & missed 2 man from amongst his
brethren for thece days, he would ask after him. If he was away, he vould

pray for him; and if he was in town, he would im; and i
gre ing Mie would go to him; and if he was

companions,

Al-Bayhagi
Al-Tabarir
Abenad, al-Tabarini,

‘Thur is, rhe one above 4 y
Aba Yala, ia which ai-Husayn asks ‘AN 10 describe the Propher &. [t]

Berrs

253
di a

MUHAMMAD d& THE PERPECT Man

isit hi in order to h
He ge would visit his companions in o ONOUE th
a ee He & would often visit the Helpers, and woud Male
pra it the houses of those he visited in order 0 pass on meting
(baraka) to them, and so they could seek blessings ftom the Fe Blessing
he prayed. ’ Where
ie would also visit weak and sick Mustims, and attend gh

ir Fane

cheering them up so that they would be set at ease and fg
Ct the

and their worries. He would say to them, ‘Rej

erty
Pevthe Emigrants, in the perfect light that shall be voice fo
Resurrection: you shall enter Paradise half a day before the 8 Day

“ig

that means five hundred years!”

a his dealings with people he & would be extremely mog
ramble, broad-hearted, forbearing and generous, forgiving and most"
mad none patient than even the most patient of people, He ind mere

juse of Allah’s creatures in upholding the rights of Allah and +i hen

Jit He preserved bonds of love, maintained covenancs, athe!

promises, even if yas difficult for him to do so. He withstood
d

provighoess of Bedouins and treated them kindly, meeting theichars
with sweet-natured speech and conduct. shness

The way he & interacted and dealt with his Companions gave th
complete selfestern and confidence in themselves; he did this by re
their counsel. He encouraged us to follow this lofty principle by x ie
‘He whose counsel is sought is in a posi ion of trust”, and say i 8
who seeks [Allah's] aid in decisions will not be disappointed; and he who
seeks [people's] advice will no feel regret.™*

"Aba Elurayra said: ‘T have never seen anyone seek counsel ffom bi
companions more than the Prophet & did.’

‘The Prophet # sought counsel ftom his Companions on man
occasions, including at the Bartle of Badr when they faced Quraysh. One
example was how he f sought their counsel at Badr about where the
should make camp. He also sought their counsel at Uhud about whether
they should set out or remain where they were; most of them said the;
should set out, so they did. He also sought their counsel about the trux

‘Abmad, al-Ticmudhi.
Al-Bukharl (a-Adab al-Migred).
Aba Yall, al-Hlakim.

‘Abend, with variants in the Susan.
‘Al-Tabarani

BEBRE

254

Part Six: The Perfection of His $ Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

on the day of the Trench. And on the occasion of the Lie (al-/fk), he said
to them: ‘Give me your counsel” When they gave him good counsel, he
took it and acted upon it, and announced that it was correct and good, to
honour the one who gave it and encourage him, and co give esteem to the
opinion he had reached, based on his experience.

255

Tue Way HE & Ser Minps ay Ease

ne aspect of his & perfect etiquette in interactin a
O was how he set their minds at ease and made them fea la Prop
There are many famous accounts of this, including his Pa
narrated by a-Bukhari on the authority of Abia Hurayra: “Wer OS
the Emigration, 1 would be a man of the Helpers,’ Tn
This means ‘I would ascribe myself to their hometown,

Meding
would ell nyself air theic narne and ascribe myself o the we
to the way the Arabs would swear oaths of ascription; but 1 ‘i Ording

distinction of the Emigration had already come to pass and Preventer
from every happening, because it was too noble and lofty to be ee is
by anything else. Ic is clea, then, thar his & reason for saying sh!
to please them and make them feel comfortable, to praise them for
piety, and to set their minds at ease. He did not mean to SUggeSt thar ig
fas renouncing the lineage of his forefathers, for this is clearly fh
~ especially since he @ already had che most noble of all lineages.

‘Another instance of this was how he & addressed the Helpers afte
having given bate-spoils to others but not chem, speaking to them erg
chat set their minds at ease and gave them great and immeasurable
He said: ‘Are you not content that they go home with their spoils,
you go home with the Messenger of Allah? Verily, were the Hlelpes go
one way, I would follow them down the way they took.

‘Another instance of this was his words ro a man of the Helpers whe
asked the Prophet & to place him in a position of authority, but was no
graoted that. The Propher said to him: ‘You shall encounter (
nepotism after me; 30 be patient, until you mect me at the Poo

Another example of this was how when the Prophet J entered Meccs
to make the lesser pilgrimage which had been delayed before, Hamas

86 Al-Bukhari

7 ‘The man thought that pethaps he was more suited co the role he sought chan the aw
‘whom it was assigned; the Prophet & therefore assured him chat no such preferential rrexmet
‘would be given in his time.

2 Al-Bukhari.

256

pare Six: The Perfection of His & Etbics in Guiding and Teaching

daughter followed chem calling, “Uncle! Uncle!’ ‘Ali & took her and
spd suid to Fotima @h: ‘Here is your uncle's daughter; carry her! ‘Ali,
Zayd and Jafar then began to argue over her ‘alt said: ‘I deserve her

ost, for she is my uncle's daughter’ Jafar said: “She is che daughter
of my uncle; and her maternal aunt is my wife! Zayd sais ‘She is my
trother’s daughcer’ The Prophet # gave her over to her maternal aunt,
saying: ‘The maternal aunt is like the mother? To ‘Ali he said: ‘You are
from me, and Tam from you.’ To Jifar, he said: “You resemble me in
appearance and characrer’ And to Zayd, he said: “You are our brother and
our freedman.”® Thus he ruled in favour of Ja'far, and spoke words to
please the other two men as well.

Other narrations of this incident indicate that it was something clse
which prompted these words. Usama ibn Zayd reported (as his son relates)
that ‘Ali, Jafar and Zayd ibn Haritha gathered together, and Ja‘far said: ‘1
am the most beloved of us to the Messenger of Allah &.” ‘Ali said: ‘I am
the most beloved of us to the Messenger of Allah &, and Zayd too said: ‘I
am the most beloved of us co the Messenger of Allah f.' ‘Let us go to the
Messenger of Allah and ask him’, they said. Usima said: “They came
and asked leave to see him, and he said, “Go out and see who is there.” I
told him that it was Ja'far, ‘Ali and Zayd. (1 didn’t say ‘my father’™) He
told me to ler them in, so they came in and said, “O Messenger of Allah,
whom do you love the most?” “Farima”, he said. “We mean of all men’,
they said. He xeplied: “As for you, Ja‘far, my appearance resembles yours,
and your character resembles mine; and you are from me and my family
tree, And as for you, ‘Ali, you are my son-in-law and the father of my
son"; and J am from you and you are from me. And as for you, Zayd, you
are my freedman, and are from me and to me, and the most beloved of
people co me.”™ See, then, how he @& set each of their minds at ease, and
made them all happy.

Another example of this was his §& words: “Salman is from us, the
People of the Houschold.’*!

Ab Bukhari.

8 _ Usirna makes 2 point here to say thar he didn’t say ‘my father is here’
pier tay ‘my father is here’, but rather named
% Lemy grandchild. {t]

0 Abmad, al-Hakim.

© AbTobarini, al-Htkim,

257

His # EXCELLENT Way
or REBUKING AND CENSURING

cavtinc 18 frm of spine and reinerent, and the gy
Rew make use of it when it was needed, a5 a means of educa
a
8 of red, ie
rebuke wth

or alerting. But he & would use different methods and form:
necording to circumstance and necessity; sometimes he vrould
2 grscure, other times with an elliptical expression, and other times :
4 direct expression; or he might do so by turning away, or oss .
and sometimes he would do so by the traces of anger which showed op
his blessed face. :

‘An cxample of this was the occasion when he & saw ‘Abdallah jy
‘Umar wearing two robes died with safflower; and since tha wes
forbidden, he & said to him: ‘Did your mother tell you to wear th
He f went no further with his rebuke than this, because it was enough
ro set the matter straight and make clear what was right; and therefe
the authentic narration tells us that as soon as Ibn ‘Umar got home, ke

lothes.
sessile he # would use sterner rebukes; not because the person
being rebuked needed it, or could not get the message without steraness,
but rather in order to convey another important teaching, An example of
this was the occasion when Mu‘adh ibn Jabal & led his people in prayer
in the mosque and made the prayer very Jong, so that a person in the
congregation who had a pressing necd was forced to curtail his prayer and
leave. When Mu‘adh heard of this, he called the man a hypocrite —andat
that time, of course, such a word was extremely serious, because it meant
unbelief. The man therefore came forward in a state of some agitation
and worry, and complained about Mu'adh’s lengthening of the men and
his subsequent charge of hypocrisy. Upon hearing this, the Prop! a
rebuked Mu‘adh firmly, saying: ‘Are you a mischief: monger, ils
you a mischieFmonger, Mu‘adh? Are you a mischiel-monger, Mist
He did this to sec che man’s mind at ease and to show due concern for

Muslim.

258

Part Six: The Perfection of His $ Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

his complaint; for otherwise, the issue of lengthening the prayer required
nothing more than a simple announcement that the imam should make
the prayer light, especially since Mu'adh was one of the most well-versed
people in che Shariah.

‘Another example of this was how he J firmly rebuked Aba Dharr
&: Aba Dharr said to his slave, “You son of a black woman!’ The slave
complained of this to the Prophet $, who said to Ab Dharr: ‘You are
a man in whom there is a remnanc of pagan ignorance! Did you insult
him by reviling his mother?’ This was a stern rebuke for Abii Dharr,
and something less might have been sufficient; but the Prophet # took
into consideration the state of che servant who had made the complaint,
who had found refuge in the bosom of Islam, which does not distinguish
between colours and races. Therefore he $ wanted to set his mind at
ease and satisfy him, and let him know that he was concerned about his
situation and his complaint.

Sometimes he f would use prison as a means of correction. The
Prophet $ did not have a custom-built jail for that function, nor did Aba

at that time, prison meant simply to restrain
an individual so he could not move about freely, whether in a house or a
mosque. Abii Dawiid narrates that the Prophet % once imprisoned a man
after a charge was brought against him; and it is narrated in the Sabib
thar he J imprisoned Thumiama ibn Uthal by binding him to a pillar of
the mosque. The Sira Halabiyya also narrates chat he 4 imprisoned the
Banii Qurayza in Medina in the house of Bint al-Haritha, a woman of the
Helpers, before having them executed.

Sometimes the one who brought the charge, or his agent, would be
made responsible for imprisoning the guilty party himself. Aba Dawad
and Ibn Majah narrated, on the authority of al-Harmas ibn Habib, that
his grandfather said: ‘I cook a debtor of mine to the Prophet #. He told
me to take hold of him, and then said to me, “O brother of the Bani
‘Tamim, what do you wish to do with your prisoner?” This remained the
mode of imprisonment during the time of the Messenger of Allah #& and
‘Abu Bake; then ‘Umar a& bought a house in Medina and made it a jail.

Another means of correction he & would employ was scourging: he

nal bas ‘hia father, the correction is fram Abi Diwid, Tb Mijah, al-Bayhagi,

“4 See Suyiti Tirikh al-Kbulafa’, chapter on ‘Umar

— i

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT Man

for murdering their slave,*" and scourged )

ia hate nti apc rumours about the Lie to nash ra
F this is well-known.’

“ Loinaeel of correction he # employed was banishmene i
secablubed that he banished al-Hakam tbn Abt al“As vo Type Aas
manded it, saying: ‘An unmarried fornicator receives one ica he
fnshes and 2 year’s banishment." He also sentenced a hirad fang
forniated co lashes anda year’s banishment, and gave the samme fe
to the hesmaphrodice who would visit women illicitly, ce

‘Another means of correction he & employed was ostracisin
in che story of Ka’b ibn Malik, one of the three who refused x Bin

the Bartle of Tabik,”' in return for which the Propher once
thet and refused to speak to them, and commanded everyone else t0 dy
Lehi ee so sorely on account of being ostracised by the Chyen
Prophet and his Companions chat, as the Qur'an says of them. 7
cath for alts anes was sated for ther and ther souls were rane
and they thought that there was no refuge from Allab except in Hint 4

The Almighty’s words’ for allits vastness’ meant that despite the ‘vastness
af the earth, they could find no place where they felt at ease because of
their worry and woe; this illustrates their utter desperation. Even their
own souls and hearts were straitened with misery and loneliness becaus
of thelr delayed repentance, so that they had no room for any joy or
solace. :

In Ka‘b’s own words: “This went on until the world | knew was
unrecognisable to me, not the same thing I had known before.’ (Another
narration has it that he said: ‘..the very walls became unrecognisable to
us, and not the same walls we had known before.’) This is how the one
who is miscrable and depressed come to see all
even sees himself that way. Another narration has it chat he said: ‘Thi
went on until [we] were utterly cowed, and had become like monks’

He fe also punished certain people by ordering that their hands and
feet be amputated and their cyes branded. This occurred in the famous

Bs as CcUrreg

51 See Ibn al-Talli, Agaiyar al-Rasill &.
See al dhe and al-[sttdb,
See al-fdbe und inlet Ab,
© Muslim.
5" The other rwo being Hil ibo Unmyya and Mirira ibn al-Rabi’.

260

part Six: The Perfection of Fits & Exbics in Guiding and Teaching

: al-Bukhari on the
eter Sirs wry a
abot of A wel ith the elieate of Medina, “The Messenger fi
Ce Oem $0 ib oot and join the eamel-herd and drink their
commind milk.** They went out, and when they became well they
wns red the Proper’ & camel-herder and drove the camels away. News
ehhis came ac the start of the day, so we sct out after them, and they
seve caughe before midday. He commanded that their hands and feet be
tor off and thei eyes branded, and chat they be sent out into che stony,
barren land, to vainly seek water” (One narration adds ‘until they died.)
According €0 Ibn Abi Awwina, on the authority of Aqil, who heard ie
from Anas, rwo of them were crucified, two had their hands and feet
ampurared, and two had their eyes branded, If this is authentic, it means
that cheir punishments were diverse.

Muslim narrated that Anas said: “The Prophet & only branded their
«yes because they had branded the eyes of the camel-herder? Al-Bukhari
also alludes to this narration.”'

Iris aso related chat the Prophet killed one person in battle with his
own blessed hand; it was Ubayy ibn Khalaf. What happened was that
the Prophet #& took a spear from the hand of al-Lrith ibn al-Simma
and thrust Ubayy in the neck with a thrust that made him sway atop
his horse several times, and broke one of his ribs, resulting in his death.
AL-Hafiz al-Babili relates in his Sira that chis was the only occasion when
the Prophet & killed someone with his own hand

He 4 also punished by means of burning and demol
Ibn Hishim narrates, on che authority of ‘Abdallah ibn Hatim, whe
heard it from his father, that the Messenger of Allah $a was told chee
some of the hypocrites were gathering in the house of Suwaylim the Jew
and urging people not to go out to Tabik. The Prophet # therefore sent

Talha ibn ‘Abdallah with a group of men and commanded them to burn
down Suwaylim’s house, which they did,

And during the expedition of Tabak,
the ‘Mosque of Discord’ [Masjid
Companions to demoli

he & was inspired with news of
al-Dirdr], and so sent a group of his
itand burn it down, He sent for Malik ibn al-

Aé medicine,

Ehab al-fhad, Bab idha abrag al-musbrike al-muslim*

bal yubrag.
Al-2urgioi, al-Mawabib a

Eulieby the hypocrites to use a a base for sprescing discord among the Muslims. ra)

261 A

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

‘Udayy alAjlani and said: ‘Go to y

and demolish it and burn it? They

Dakhshem and Ma‘n i
cerablihed by wicked men,

: bid.
re peney sg also cut dow and burned some of the dat

the Banis Nadir.

His age
an

Palms of

262

Tue PerFrect EDUCATION
He & Gave THE MusLIM
CoMMUNITY, AND His DEVOTION TO
TEACHING THE QUR'AN

ne PROPHET ™& was intensely devoted to the teaching of the

Qur'an, especially in the case of young children. There is no doubt
thae there is a great benefit in this, which is that children are guided to
the belief that Allah is cheir Lord, and that this is His Speech; and so
that the spirit of the Qur'an pervades their hearts, and its light penecrares
their thoughts, perceptions and senses; and so that the child is taught
the doctrines of the Qur'an from an early age, and grows up with love for
Qur'an, attachment to it, and deference to its commandments and
prohibitions, imbibing its ethics and following its guidance.

For this reason, the parents and guardians of the Muslim community
have always been careful to teach the Qur'an to their children; and this is
one of the foundations of Islam, ensuring that they retain their primordial
nature as they grow up, and that the lights of wisdom reach their hearts

before caprice can get to them and overwhelm them with sin and error.
A poet said of this:

Passion for it came to me ere I knew what passion was,
Aad thus it encered an empry heart, and settled there,

He f& would also stipulate that delegations of Arabs who came to
embrace Islam must have the Qur'an read to them and the religion taught
to them, and appoint people to make the call ta prayer for them.

‘The Companions & and the righteous carly Muslims who came after
them taught the Qur'an to their children just as the Chosen Prophet J
tad, in perfect obedience to his instructions; in doing so, they sincerely
vied with one another to attain unto the goodness and blessings thar he

263

MUHAMNAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

by Allah's leave, to those who do so, saying: Wp,
pant the Qur'an by sight" will be forgiven
reaches it to him from memory will be resurrected by
as radiant as the moon when it is full, and it will be sai
“Recite’, and every HME he recites a verse, Allah 2 will ra
degree, until he has finished reciting all the Qur'an hea
Al-Tabarani narrated, on the authority of Aba Hurayra, that he
said Every father who reaches his child the Qur'an in this world
srpwned on the Day of Resurrection with a crown in Paradise, by
the people of Paradise will know him as one who taught the Qu
ig in this world Imam Ahmad’s narration adds: [The child’ paren
Sill be dressed in two robes more valuable chan this whole wor —
they will sy: “How have we come to be wearing, these?" It wi
“By the Qur'an your child learned” (AMTabarni’s narration ha

Soe;
3 and vhs

lah in Bem
id to his child:
€ the father 4

Kalso

Pinto his

teaching your child’)
Tha Khaldin says in his Mugaddima, on the subject of the virtue of
reaching children:

Be aware that teaching children the Qur’én is an essential part of the
religion, ahich has been adopred and continued by its adherents in exery
corner of the Muslim world, This is because it ensures that the first
Shim to hearts is staked by the firm faith and doctrine the verses of the
Qur'an imparc, Thus the Qur'an has become the foundation of teaching
upon which all the rest of education is built. Islamic custom has alvays
been to begin education with che study of the Qur'an, in order to obtain
blessing, and to protect che child from the lunacies and perils of yout! by
ensuring that the Qur'in reaches him before they do.

The Holy Qur'an is the broadest treasury of knowledge for humaniey,
and the Book that ‘falsehood cannot approach, neither from the front nor the
reur; it is a Revelation from one Wise and All-Praiseworthy’ [41:42], Its
the mighty tome from which the community of Islam have derived and
drawn all manner of sciences, as Allah says: ‘We have neglected nothing
in the Book’ [6:38]; and He says: And We have sent down on you the Book,
Le. from a written page. [t)

7 Al-Tabardni (the author points out here that al-Haythami declared the chain of narration
(© contain narrators unknown co him). [t]

264

art Six: The Perfection of His && Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

making clear all thing’ (16:89]. And the Prophet & said: ‘There shall be
ital civil strife’ “What is che way out of them, O Messenger of
‘Allah’, they asked. ‘The Book of Allah,’ he said, ‘in which there are
tidings of what will come after you, and news of what came before you,
and a verdict on what is now with you."

Indeed, ic is the first encyclopaedia known to humanity, by its own
attestation.

Now the first people to study at the school of the Qur'an, to be educated
by its guidance and guided by its educacion, and to base their way of life
were the noble Companions, who were eager to study and teach
nin obedience to the Prophet's words: ‘Learn the Qur'an and
read it; for che Quran shall be, for the one who learns it, reads ir and
prays wich it [by night), like a pouch filled with musk whose fragrance
floats everywhere”, and his & words: ‘The best of you is he who studies
the Qur’in and teaches it.”

The Prophet # would teach them, alongside the Qur'an itself, the
proper etiquette of those who memorise the Holy Qur'an, so that they
would know its right over them and respect and honour it. He would
say to them: ‘He who reads the Qur'an thereby draws prophethood in
between his two sides, although no revelation comes to him. It does not
befir the one who possesses the Qur'an to speak words of anger with the

angry, nor words of ignorance with the ignorant, whilst the Word of
Allah is in his breast.™

Bea?

AL-Hikim,

265 A

ExEGESIS OF QuR’AN

tie cincles of

A noTHeR suBsECT given special attention in the prophey
The Chosen,

knowledge was the exegesis of Allah's Mighty Book,
Prophet f& would give them his own exegesis of certain Qu
and he said to them: ‘Never do people gather in one of Allal
scudying the Book of Allah and reciting it o one another, save tha, n
inner peace (akina) descends upon them, mercy enfolds them, the anges
surround them, and Allah mentions them co those who are with H, hei
‘Al-Qiri says in Sharb al-Miskab: “Reciting it to one another" ae
reading cr one another vo correct (their memorisation of) is word
iscover its meanings.”
to eee asserts in al-liqan that the Prophet & explained all of th
Quriin to his Companions, or most of it. This is supported by the hading
narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Majah stating that one of the final verses
be revealed was the verse pertaining to indirect heirs [4:1761, and thie
the Messenger of Allah & passed away before he had explained it. The
implies that he # did explain to them everything else that was revealed,
but did not explain this verse to them because he passed away 30 soon
after it was revealed. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to say
this about this one verse. 7
ith narrated by alBazzir in which Wisha said: ‘The
Messenger of Allah fp never explained any of the Qur°an except for a few
verses Jibril taught him, it is munkar according co al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir,
Ibn Jarir and others interpreted it co mean that she was referring to verses
which he was uncertain of, and so asked Allah about, who sent their

explanations to him on the tongue of Jibril.

TiC Verso,
Rete
* house

‘2 Muslim. This is a reference to the maldtha mugarraban, those angels nearesc the Throne:

“The who bear che Throne and those around it hymn she praises of toetr Lord, believe in Hm, nd

‘ra fortoenes for thoe who believe: ‘Our Lard! Your Reach ty over wll bingy x mercy and knowieyy

Forgive, shen, those who turn in repentance and follow our path, and preserve ther [rom the torment
‘the Fire" (40:07) {t]

£ Tse ation a weak chain whose concent is comcradicted bys adith wih

a stronger chia. {t)

266

HIsToRY AND TALES oF OLD

NOTHER SUBJECT to which the Prophet # gave special attention,
Aw taughe to his Companions, was that of historical events and
the stories of the communities of old; and he devoted time to the study
of this field, in obedience to Allah's words: ‘Remind shem of the Days of
Allab’ [14:5]. That is, remind them of the events Allah destined for the
communities of old, that they may follow the path of those who are
guided. History is the search for the roocs of bygone communities and
the discovery of cheir identities, stories, knowledge, vestiges, customs,
rises and falls; and it is something that intellectuals compete in, and
kings cake pride in, and all people aspire to know.

Allah Almighty cold us, in the Qur'an, about what happened between
the prophets and their communities, and guided us to recognise the
successive cycles of time, change, expansion, contraction, prosperity and
destruction.

Now he #& would devote certain times co tcaching: either every day
(without being too strenuous), o every other day (one day to relax so thar
the next day can be approached with vigour), or once a week on Fridays.
This differs according to circumstances and individuals; it is determined
by nced, along with a careful appraisal of people's enthusiasm.

This Muhammadan Sunna is the best way to encourage people to
attend circles of knowledge and learning, and inspire them to come wich
a thirst for knowledge and an attachment to it.

“Fal al-Bari

267

LITERACY

he noble

I TERACY WAS another field given special attention in x
tO Write

ic era. Nbdallah tn Said ibn al-Ag taught people

Hee eee janraciions oFike Messenger cE Alii g

1” (rbads fon al-Samitsaids“I taught some of the People of the Ledge ay
|. how to write the Qui arn

al ane Nag alHawario’ al-Magi said in abMaal al Nappy

ing did noc become prevalent until over a year after the
Seen: ‘This was because when the Helpers captured over
ce of the leaders of Quraysh, as well as more of the commoners, at
the Battle of Badr in the second year after the Emigration, they seta sum
of money fr the ransom of each captive; and each one of those who could
pot piy was told instead to teach one of the children of Medina to write,
and would not be freed until he had done so. In that way, writing became
prevalent, and began to spread to every area Islam conquered,

Is is further related in che Siva literature that each one of these idolaters
would teach ten boys to write, and then be allowed to go his way.

Alte a :
“* The Sufa way x ledge in the hack of the Prophet’ f& Mosque which, on the here
ofthe Prophet &, was covered with palm fronds and prepared so that eatranged people

ino homes of farvilten could stay there and dedicate themselves ta worship. |t]
Abu Dawud,

268

His # METHOD oF TEACHING

PHET fA followed, in his way of teaching people and inviting
T Hee goodness, the way of the Holy Qur'an, in which Allah
says: ‘Call you to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautifil canal
and dispute vith them in the better way. Surely your Lord knows very well
those who have gone astray from His way, and He knows very well those who
led? [16:125}.
see pai gives us a perfect picture of the manifold forms of
invitation which must be extended to different kinds of people; and
the sound guidance the yerse lays out applies to all kinds of people,
its manifested form differing according to their different attributes
and types. Among the different types of people are: the elite who seek
knowledge of higher realities, the masses of ordinary people, and the
stubborn opponents.

For each of these types of people, there is a specific way of speaking to
them, calling chem and teaching them, He 4 would speak to people on
the level of their intelligence, and his words would always be appropriate
to the situation. He would use with each group the discourse that suited
them, and address them in their own language.

Allah a» gifted His Prophet & with a mighty and awe-inspiring

presence, and made his words easy for people's hearts to love and accept,
so that he needed nothing more.

Al-Qadi ‘Iyad said:

Allah ss cast love into his é& speech and enveloped it with acceptance,

and combined for him both awesomeness and Sweetness. He never needed
to repeat himself, and those who heard his speech never had to ask him

fanPit it: He never spoke a word out of place, nor made a slip, nor
found himself lost for words,

we consider these three kinds of people,

we find that this verse devotes
@ unique approach to each of them,

= AbSbifa,

28 lh

MUWAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

‘The first group, the incelleccual lite, should be «
with wiscoms that is, with wisely-weighted words and
The eruth that leave no room for doubr. This is because
vomvinced by anything but plain evidence that removes all «
vet avise words thar guide chem to the Way of their Lord,

"The second group, the masses of ordinary people, should be 4
and taught with beautiful counsel; that is, with convincing specgt
beneficial expressions in such a way thac they can see withour dogs at
the one speaking to them is sincere and wants what is best for yee
They do not need discourse that is especially wisely-weighte d, hea
they are ordinary people, not ietellectuals; and they do not need pont
because they have no suspicions that need righting, of,

"The third group, the stubborn opponents, should be called an
by means of debare according ro the best way, which is the water
gentleness, ease and the use of well-known preambles, so that their ny
F abated and the fire in their breasts is extinguished, and they can ie,
return to the way of Allah.

"The Messenger of Allah # would also impart teachings to the Musling
by using 2 question one of them asked him, which he would then
answer for the benefic of all. One example of this is the hadith abou
righteousness and wickedness. Al-Nawas ibm Sam’an ,& said: asked the
Messenger of Allah about righteousness and wickedness, and he sai:
“Righteousness is good character, and wickedness is what puts unrex
in your heart, and what you would hare for others to discover," In the
same way, women would often come and ask the Messenger of Allah
questions, and he would answer them.

Thus you can see that the prophetic method of teaching emphasises,
in its wise ways, the importance of teaching women as well as men,
This shows that Islam encourages that wornen be nurtured, refined and
cultured with a proper religious education to help them to uphold its
message.

The Prophet # would also teach che Muslims by posing questions ~
not to learn the answers from anyone, but to rouse their interest and
inspire in their hearts and minds a desire to discover the truth of the
matter at hand, and cause them to recognise its importance.

Muladh ibn Jabal reported that the Messenger of Allah # sad: Sha

they cag,
heir susp

'ciong,

hed

i taughe

Muslim.

Part Six: The Perfection of His & Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

Ii you the head of the matter, and its pillar, and its peak?’ ‘Indeed
aire, O Messenger of Allah, said Muladh. He said: "The head of che
vnatter is Islam, its pillar is prayer, and its peak is struggle” =

"This method of teaching which the Prophet f employed is distinguished
by the way it inspi d interest in this noble Companion, and pointed to
the foundations of happiness in this life and the next: Islam, prayer,
and struggle. We can observe that this method of teaching — by asking
{questions ~ had been adopted by educators, who present scientific concepts
sethe form of questions and then provide che answers for them.

He would also pose questions for which he did not provide answers,
in order to rest the knowledge and intelligence of his Companions.

Tbn ‘Umar & reported that the Messenger of Allah & said: “There is
a tree whose leaves never fall, and which is like the believer. Can you tell
me what it is?” The people began to call our the names of rrees of the
countryside; ‘and it occurred to me,’ said Ibn “Umar, ‘that it was the date~
palm, but 1 was too shy co say it’ Finally, they asked the Messenger of
Allah $ to tell chem what it was, and he said: ‘Ic is the date-palm.

Sometimes he #& would be concerned that if he continued ro pose
questions and teach his Companions, they would become bored or tired.
In such instances, he would give them the opportunity to rest and rake
some time to gacher their thoughts until their interest returned, so
that the information they had already gathered would take root and be
absorbed by their long-term memories, Modern educational i ions
are indebted to this rightly-guided way of teaching, since they have
ulimacely derived their successful systems from this wise prophetic
method,

Ibn Masiid said: “The Prophet would withhold his counsel from us
some days, disliking that we might become bored?

1c was also part of his $ wise method to speak to people on the level
of their intelligence and in a way that suited their mental faculties, their

natures and their customs; and he would impart his i
‘ ood!
a spirit of tolerance and ease. " a aaairaa

le in their own dialects. ‘Agim al-Ash‘ari
suid: T heard the Messenger of Allah se say laysa min am-birr am
Smv-safar' in the dialect of the Ash‘ari clan, whose definite article was

is not

mee ‘gherous co fase when travelling’ Usually it would be lays mn al-birr al-ss9am

a7i

MUHANMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

am instead of the usual al.

‘And in order to emphasise these teachings, he would often
be said three times to make sure it was understood.

In all the commandments and probibitions he issued, he
the correct pedagogical method 48 his Lond taught him, and
exemplified in the Quriin, He would not issue many commandin
many prohibitions all at once, but issued them gradually, bit by ee
that the people would aot become jaded, and so that his teaching
not be overbearing. ld

‘An example: When he # sent Mu‘adh ibn Jabal to Yemen, hy

ee Ana ESE: aad ‘ded him on eye PiSpared
him wich sufictent instruction, and commanded him to fallow the
%

TEPC Whar

‘Owed

s clear that the prophetic method of teachin,
many different ways of directing people to the path of light and perfecfs
and firmly laid the foundations for a good life. Thus Islamic society, wigh
all its different facets, was bound together by the Shariah it Teceived, and
guided by the lessons of its Prophet, the Teacher, and the teachings of
its Messenger, the Leader #, s0 that che Muslims were then grand,
clear victory, and were truly ‘be best community brought out forthe good
mankind’ (3:110]. a

Tn the Messenger of Allah ji, we have the best exainple, and in his
Companions we have the finest role-models, so that we may follow bi
way and adhere to his guidance, until Allah sends upon us blessings fom
Heaven and earth.

In this, we see also that the propheric way of teaching did not leave any
aspect of the affairs of life and religion without paying attention to it and
giving it ample consideration. It laid down the sound foundations upos
which the best community stood, and frorn which was formed the grea
Islamic state, which spread knowledge and civilisation across the world,

from corner to corner.

Bemployeg

272

His & Perrect Way
oF TEACHING AND Guiping

ne ASPECT of the guidance he & gave in his method of teaching
vas the art of caking an actual sustion and transfersing i wy oe
ual principle pertaining co faith, ethics, or conduct. This isthe

ley ro affirm a theoretical concept and make it tangible for other
pest "7 a

‘A example of this was the occasion when he $ saw a wor
ol

ives desperately searching for her child, lost in he

amery, wntll finally she found him and cleaved him to her breast,
2ovimmediatcly fell calm. ‘Do you see chis mother’s compassion with
3 goo? he He said, and they said that they did. ‘Allah ie yer more
te essonate with His servant, he said. (Os, he said: ‘Do you see
i this mother rejoices in her son? Allah rejoices even more in the
repentance of is servant. ;

irnother example of chis is the hadith narrated by Muslim on the
arihorty of Jébir, who said chat the Messenger of Allah & was walking
in the market with people thronged around him when he passed by a
dead short-eared goat. He took it up, holding it by the ear, and said:
‘Who among you would like to buy this for a dirham?” ‘We would not
bay it at any price, they said, ‘for we have no use for it’ ‘Wouldn’: you
like to have it for free?’, he & said. ‘By Allah,’ they said, ‘even were it alive
it would be flawed, with those short ears — so what use is it dead?" The
Prophet & said: “By Allah, this world is even more trifling to Allah than
this goat is to you.

In this way, he # drew from this dead, flawed goat a practical lesson and
a propheric counsel, showing the value and true nature of the life of this
world, and how it does not meric all this struggling, coverousness, envy
and confict. He took the physical reality of the goat, and transformed it
into an intellectual concepr.

‘The Propher 4 would use every available pedagogical tool to depict
and explain truths, illustraring and highlighting their form for all o see.

One day he was speaking about hope, and how strong it always is,

273

MUHAMMAD §& THE PERFECT MAN

for man leaves this life w

his hopes and desires are stil as
mountains, although death encompasses him without his pereen'®? #
he does not sense it until it is upon him, dashing all his oS"

i
spoiling his plans. * Ropes ang

In order to make this truth easier to perceive, he & drew a figure
ground for those presene ro see. Al-Bukhari narrates that Abdaish
“Umar &, said: “The Prophet $ drew a square, and a line Passing th ‘ibn

the middle of it and extending out of it, and drew several sing ae
cutting chrough the one in the middle, He then said: “This is man,
this is his appointed lifespan, surrounding him; and this part of ch
outside the square is his hope; and these small lines are the vi
of time: if this one misses him, another will befall him; and if ch
misses him, another will befall him.”

Another aspect of his éa method of teaching and educating was to ue

lusion when speaking of blameworthy or unpleasant things,
well-selected words which conveyed the intended meaning
without any vulgarity, so thar it was just as well understood as
have been had he used more direct language.

An example of this is his & words in the authentic hadith: ‘Seveq
whom Allah will shade in the shadow of His Throne on a day when there
will be no other shade: ...a man invited by a woman of good lineage and
virtue, bur say: “I fear Allah"!

Observe how he # alluded to the intended meaning by saying ‘invited
by a woman’, when it is clear that what was meant was that she invited
and urged him to commit an indecent act.

‘Another example of this is what he & said to the woman whose second
husband divorced her without having ever properly consummated the
marriage with her. She came and asked him if it was now lawful for her
first husband to remarry her, and he said to her: ‘No, not until you aste
his honey and he tastes yours? — that is, until sexual intercourse has
occurred between you; he alluded to this with the euphemism of honey,
and to the act of union with the euphemism of tasting.

‘Another example of this is what he $ said about what necessitates a
purificatory bath (gbus!), and how the act of penetration necessitates this

ne
ine
tudes
Mt one

by using
Perfectly
tt would

2) Al-Bukhaei, Masli
92 Al-Bukhari, M

274

six: The Perfection of His fh Ethics in Guiding and Teaching
port

is no ejaculation: ‘When he sits between he
Fg they] must bathe. deine

pod ome OTT ople of this is Found in his & words: ‘He :
ber exttit | guard what is between Who guarantees

ie jaws” and wh
fee ouarantce for him that he will encer Paradise? * CME?
i viet style he # would employ when reaching was gradualism in

tion and moving his interlocutor fro; s
vind Loetie he could guide him to what was most a ae He ache
es $2 Id best solve his probl mil doit
woth id what would be problem. He would do all this
<ivatil coming heart, a kind character, and great forbearance, without
ee glo boredom or weariness. This is embodied in the following

& reported that a man came to the Messenger of.
a Taye ruined, O Messenger of Allah! “Whar har ren aa i
sed pad intercourse with my wife in Ramadan! the man said Gar
28 goed to free a slave?’ the Prophet & asked, The man said he could
ua “Could you fast two successive months? he asked. The man seid
fe could aot. ‘Can you afford to feed sixty poor people? he asked. The
watt be could not. He sat for a while and then a basket of dates was
rough to the Prophet &, who took it and said: ‘Give this in charity? ‘To
semeane poorer cham we are?’ said che man, ‘for chere is no household
eawn poorer than my own.’ The Prophet §& laughed until his incisors

aese visible, and said, ‘Go and feed your family wich ie’

In this way, the questioner went away having learned a clear and
anshakeable truth, and having been made content and assured, and
paving been made to feel thar he was a member of society, and that
the community were responsible for him, and cared bout him, and
aperienced his problems with him and looked to solve them with him,
Hal che Prophet # simply given him the legal ruling all at once by
caving, You must free a slave, or if you cannot then fast two successive
aonths, or if you cannot then feed sixty poor people’, chis would not have
been incorrect or deficient; but instead he J& devoted his whole being to
the matter at hand, and asked him, ‘Do you have a slave?" (he did not);

te Hu

“Herarms and legs (in an embrace), or her fees and thighs (Fath al-Bari),[t}
“ AbBukhiri, Muslim,

"Le. his mouth (by avoiding blameworthy speech). {f]
° Ab Bubhari

bselie,

275

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT wan

and ‘Could you fast two successive months?" the could not)
gradually conveying the ruling to him until he led him
which was appropriate for him.

Another of the lofy prophetic methods of teaching was thy jy
would always treat questioners with special care, espeet, kindsag”
honour, thereby imparting unto them great coafalence and wat 2M
so thar their awe of the Prophet f& did not prevent them from
whatever questions they needed ro, and his great status did nor ge
thern from expressing what was on their minds. He would be et
and generous with his counsel, so the questioner felt that the mee
Educator's & protection was upon hisn, guarding him from all wat
against anyone who might criticise or find fault with him,

‘The following hadith illustrates this perfectly: indeed, was this hay

ae : ch
that suggested this notion «co us in the fist place. Jabir ibn ‘Abdalan
reported that a Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah & and sadn
Messenger of Allah, about our clothes in Paradise: will we hive to male
them ourselves?” The people laughed, and the Messenger of Allch je se
‘At what do you laugh? Ar one who knows not, asking one who knows? ne
© Bedouin, bur rather they will be given forth by the fruits of Parad,

You see, then, how he fe rebuked them for laughing at the ma
question, and told them that there was no reason to criticise him or ind
faule with his question, and that the one who does not know should be
shown attention and appreciation, so that he is encouraged to ask and
seek, and motivated to come back and ask again confidently without any
shyness or fear, How often shyness and fear of criticise prevent people
from discovering important truths!

‘Another example of this: it is related that a Bedouin came to the
Messenger of Allah & while he was travelling, taking hold of his camel's
bridle and saying: ‘O Messenger of Alla, tell me what will take me cast
to Paradise and further from Hell.’ The Prophet # stopped, looked to his
Companions and then said: ‘May he be given grace! [Or he said ‘may he
be guided.} What did you say?" The man repeared it, and the Prophet &
answered: “Worship Allah and associate noching with Him, perform the
prayer, give the poor-due, and maintain your family tics. Now, let go of
the camel."

¥ aNd 5 oy
*0 4 Solution

™ Al-Vaberdni.
Muslim,

276

gue The Pefeston of Hs Ethics tn Guding and Teaching
perso

sc, then, how the Prophet §& showed interest in the question,
66 Apanions know it and drew their attention co it, asking the
repeat it and praying that he be given grace and guidance.

1 of his & way of tcaching was to represent abstract

‘another ate Tanguage so that those who heard could conceive of

concep 10 OO they were looking right at them. This causes therm to
2 mee Rly in che soul and mind, and chus make a greater and

‘ ‘on.
oP wa this is found in his #& words: “He who begs from the

‘One aes is only begging for burning coals ~ let him, then,

cMerher to take a little, oF @lot:4®
dod Wie who is always asking people for moncy is nor really asking

50 nid coals; but in the Hereafter it will turn into burning coals to

for burnt vB For what he did. The Prophet Je expressed this concept in a
ph bi Joser to something people can conceive of haved wh die

wie experience, 50 chat ic would be all che more effective a deterrent

eae Pr and so chat the one who engaged in such an act could

and ata he were actually grasping hold of ire.

eae example of this was what he & said when he saw a gold ring

a afis Companions’ fingers: ‘One of you desires a brand of ire: let
fim puc it on his hand.

vrnher example of this was what he J& said about one who eats from
pissed siber vesel: He is buc gobbling the fre of Hell inc his belly =

another example of this was what he #& said about the one who rushes
sodgetsahead of the imam in the prayer: His face isthe Face ofa donkey'#
~ Allah be our refuge!

Another instance of this was the Prophet's words, as reported by Aba
Hurayra: ‘Would any of you, when returning to his family, wish to find
there three far she-camels great with young?” The people said chat they
would. He said: “Then the three verses that one of you recites in his prayer
are better for him than those three fat she-camels great with young,"

Another example: “Ugba ibn ‘Amir & said: ‘The Prophet $ went our
and passed us by at the Ledge [Suffa], and said: “Which of you would like
dustin,

Mualin,
AbBukhari, Muslim.
‘Muslim.

sioner €

way wenich

EEER

21

MUNAMMAD @& THH PERFECT Man

to go to Bahan [or he said “Aqiq’| and take two farten d sh
committing any crime ar severing any Family tie We
all would, O Messenger of Allah!” Te suid: “Then why aur
Mosque, and learn or recite two verses of the Hook of A
for thus is better than two she-camels, and three is better than eh
four is berter than four, and 90 on for any number of camely Ma 2%
Another example of this is his words: ‘Allah rejoices in the
of His servant more than one of you reves when he comes renee
camel, after having loxt it in harren land." Muslim's version fo
1 when he repeats, ma
Wtejocee when, after his camel Rees om hint in ss
his food and drink, so that he despairs of ever finden”
he then comes t a tee and takes shelter in its shadow, having despa
of lining is camel; and then while he is there, it suddenly ye
brefure him, and he takes ies bridle, and he says with great joy:"O Alla
you are my slave and [ am your lord!”, misspeaking because of his prea,
delight”
‘The Messenger & thus compared Allah's acceptance of His servn
repentance, and Hlis contentment, aad the great mercy and compussen
He has for His servants, with a man travelling ina barren wilderness why
tases the camel upon which he was making the journey through the
wilderness, and then finds it after having been on the brink of death, ant
having lost hope of survival. This encourages people to reper
any harriers that might dissuade them from doing so, and gives them
cause to hope. Alongside His immense power and great glory, Allah is
compassionate and merciful, and encourages His servants to repent, and
graces them by accepting their repentance, and shows them the way to
salvation and happi

E-Camelg
sid, “Wy,
Bo wy

Hy Alm

is repentanc servant
and forgiveness of his sins; for when the aco sin, he fal

the clutches of Satan and becomes his captive, and thus finds himse
the brink of perdition. If, after thar, Allah graces him by guiding him
to repentance, he emerges from the shadow of thar sin and escapes from
the clutches of Satan; and Allah welcomes him with His forgiveness and

6) Places near Medine,

278

- az: The Perfection of Hts th Ethics tn Guiding and Teaching

pecomparison here applies to che state of the sepemtant servane
cp Sem had success he attains on account of his repentance,

apd the here is so well-depicred that it succeeds in having all the
the we it captures the attention of the listener and stimulates hes.
geared cl seoses and thoughts, so that the desired effect is achieved.

(00g is chat of a man in the desert with food, drink and a
‘The UAB who then suddenly loses all of that and is worn out by
camel 00 0% he loses all hope of ever getting ix back. He is the
Jessness, and his soul embodies the concept of des
ge Oe che mide of his: fFusttation, pain, dapeete td
i and destruction, suddenly there appears his camel,
aaron his food and drink. He leaps up like a man possessed and
ben wt cannot flee from him again, crying out in his joy: ‘Allah,
slave and 1 am your lord!’, misspeaking in his intense joy. Yet
or his indescribable joy and immeasurable happiness, this man is
ail 1 andent for life, happy to sce his mount, or eager to welcome his
ces than Allah is glad to receive the fepentance of His believing
eYand ro welcome him back to Him. For if the return of the camel
ee “alvation in this life, then the scrvant’s return to Allah means
ion in the Hereafter, which ts what Allah has called him to, and
roid him to grasp onto and Preserve.
"This hadith teaches us many things:

+ That it is permitted to use parables and ‘examples to explain
abstract concepts with concrete ones;

+ That we must always watch ourselves closely and be quick co
sepent, and hope that Allah accepts our repentance;

«That the Lord is merciful, whilst man is often ignocant and
heedless of this mercy;

+ ‘That hardship comes with ease, and joy with sorrow, and that we
must never despair of Allah's mercy;

That we must be more keen to strive for our religion than for our
worldly lives;

279

MUHAMMAD & THR PERFECT MAN

That Allah draws the believers

fear to Him,
unbelievers far from Him;

» and cats,

And that unintentional mistakes are accepted dk
Allah, mB en by

As for his & words ‘Allah rejoices’, in human tery
expansion of the breast caused by a newly-arrived delight; srl i
a physical delight. Thus Allah says: ‘dnd rejoi
(52:23) and: ‘They rejoice in this prevent life [13:26],

When applied to Allah, joy is a metaphor for contentment or pleas
(rida; that is, he is pleased with the repentance, and aecpa The
Purpose of these words is to show how quickly Allah accepts he servi
repentance and welcomes him back, So what is meant is the concomitany
of joy, namely contentment and acceprance.

By “barren land’, what is meant is a broad ex;
water and herbage, where a person fears death.

MS joy meang the

panse of Land bere of

280

DrrECTING PEopLe

to HIGHER AsPIRATIONS

yen asPECT of his fe method of teaching and educating was to
xov sople’s aspirations to what was higher and more profound,
dine ice lofty and profound principles by the use of well-known
10 “ae example of this can be seen in his words ‘Richness is not
concepts f material wealth; true richness is richness of soul o=
4 macrer ept of richness that most people have is that it means worldly
‘The ont aici wealth; but the Prophet % alerts us here toa higher
ant eataivitig. what: chines, namely richness of soul, This
way oF a praiseworthy richness is not what comes from material wealth
meMomfort, for many of those t whom Allah grants this wealth do
and a os what they are given, but rather become obsessed with
amt beipore no matter what the source; and their preed for nan makes
erro diferent from poor people, since the greedy person fx always
te realy praiseworthy richness, according to the folk of perfection, is
aoe ee of heart of soul!” meaning its contentment with wh,
ne and its satisfaction and pleasure with whatever it has,
sige v0 seek more, or desire to ask for more. The soul fr
iraly agreat and delighted soul, blessed with far more forcu
nobility and worth than the soul of the wealthy man with
who is condemned to wallow in base matters and vile deeds because of the
ignobility of his aspiration. Such a man sinks in the eyes of others and
sxras the scorn of their souls, and becomes more lowly in their estimation
than the lowliest of people. All in all, the one who is content with what
bes given is always satisfied, whilst the one with a poor soul is ahvays
licking, lamenting what he has lost and obsessing ia what he might gun,
‘Those who would like to have rich souls should make firm in their soul
the knowledge thar che Almighty is the Giver and Withholder, and be

and

at is given
without any
¢ of greed is
ne, integrity,
4 poor soul,

Ab Buichiei, Muslim,

“The eathor points out here that diferent narrations ofthis hadith have ether “hear”
‘sul [Rh

281

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

content with His decree, and give thanks to Him for Hi
d sb

seek refuge in Him from the unfortunate turns of fate the HB and

A poet expressed this by saying: © Ordaing,

Seek what is higher from Him who owns you,
And be content with what you have today,
For richness lies in the hearts of men,

And pride resides within their souls.

Many a hard-up man is rich,

And many a wealthy man is bankrupr;

And many a self-sufficient one is dead,
‘Though he has not yet gone to his grave!

Another example of this is found in his $words: “The keeper off
ties is nor simply he who returns them; bur the true keeper of family ties
is he who, if they are cut, restores them.**

The concept of the keeper of family tes thar most people have is he ong
who responds in kind to the actions of his family: if they contact him hy
contacts them; and if they cur him off, he cuts them off. But the Props
& here gives a differenc definicion for the keeper of family tes, en
higher level than thar ofthe usual understanding people have. Accrtng
to this higher understanding, the one who receives the reward af kepng
family ties, and realise: true virtue, is the one who makes the first
move in keeping them, without worrying about what the response is,
as people usually do. He J alluded co this with his words ‘but the true
keeper of family ties is he who, if they are cut, restores them.’ With
he tells us that the one who repays the kindnesses of others is not truly :
keeper of family ties; the true keeper of ties is the one who, when cut of
ly restores the tie himself. This is an allusion to the
rtuc; for aside from if a person is never cut off
by any of his relations, and continues to maintain ties with them, he is
counted as a true keeper of family tics. j

Another example of this is found in his & words: The worst ha
anyone can make is that of the man who wears our his hands es the sake
of his hopes, yet is not aided by destiny to achieve them, ani ty ae
this world with no provisions for the trip, and comes co Allah Almighty

“¢ AbBukhari, Abmad,

282

six, Toe Perfection of His h Ethics Guiding and Teaching
part or

ument in his favour,
fy eg understood to bes decrease of capital, yet che Prophet
a in a more universal way, encompassing faith and worship
he guided us ro see loss as being something more profound
jn this as and more valuable than mere social standing,
chao me rng of this hadith is thatthe one who loses out the mose i
The metro wears himself out wich coil and effort in order to achieve his
che man ne curns of Fare do not help him ro get what he wanes wealth,
bepee yr rige, and the like; rather, fate stands in his way and disappoints
Prontinues to entertain empty ambitions and false hopes, wishing
imo. Hi to give him what His wisdorn has not ordained and His decree
i Aa aimed; and when he dies, he leaves this world wat aay
as eae to sustain him on his trip to the next life and benefit him on
Fa when the witnesses will come forth and mankind will be judged,
ae ee provision to cake with one on the trip to the Hereafter is ro keep
The Mom evil deeds, yet this man has wallowed in their foulness and
eo he has ruined himself by chasing after hopes and neglecting
eal actions, until his heart has become enveloped by the shadows of
feedlessness and stamped wich the mark of hardness. Fare has not allowed
iim wo achieve his hollow, ephemeral desires, and he remains in a state
wi defeat, woe and misery until the angel of death Finally separates him
smanently from his hopes. Every part of him is attached to the world from.
phic he has not been parted, and they pull him to this world even ac he
| of death’ grip is upon his heart, pulling him to the Hereafter that he
ange!
does not wish to meet. He is then placed before Allah with no argument in
his favour, meaning no excuse to proffer and no valid explanation for why
bv bas been so remiss, wasting his precious life ina search for something
bast and foul, and turning aside from the worship of his Lord which was
the whole purpose of his creation: ‘T have not created jinn and mankind excepe
wuordbip Me’ [51:56]. Al-Ghazali said:

chou!
Gene

pused it

People like this are like cattle; nay, they are even more errant, for
animals were aot given knowledge and the ability to resist their passions,

whilst these [human being] were, yet have declined to use it. Thus they

xe sruly deficient, and unquestionably responsible for this. A poct said
about this:

Al Butchtes (a!-Tarikh); al-Daylami narrated ic without » chain of transmission.

283

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

T have seen no greater human flaw
Than the flaw of those who are able to be flawless,

This hadith therefore constirutes a
against giving preference to pleasure
overindulgence of hopes and negligence of righteous gerne

this may he the attitude of most people, itis alien to those hile

he eth

believers. This is why it is said that wallowing in the life nn the
Rese

the way of the damned. SE ofthis ea

Another example of this is found in his words:

plain and unambi

iBUOUS Warn;
and enjoyment, te

Which leads «¢

“The most incapac
of people is he who is incapable of suppicatings and the moor nana
People is he who is too miserly co give greetings of peace! Yo

‘The incapacitated person is the one who is weak and unable to perfo
ordinary activities; but our Prophet f& gukes us here to a highe
more profound concept than thar, namely that the incapacitated pen
is the one who is incapable of beseeching, Allah, especially t tines >
dire need, because he has abandoned what Allah has enjoined, nd ely
down His wrath upon himself by neglecting something that is not tke
least bit difficult for him. This encourages us to call upon Allah,

He @ also said “The most miserly of people is he who is too miserly to
give greetings of peace’, telling us that the true miser is one who neglects
to give greetings of peace to others. The popular understanding of a misr
is that he is the opposite of a generous person, someone who never gi
or shows kindness to others; but here, the Prophet §& uses it to describe
someone who neglects to give greetings of peace to the fellow believers
he meets, whether he knows them or not; for this greeting is easy to gic
bur greatly rewarded, and no one would neglect it but one who is mise
with those deeds which draw one nearer to Allah, and stingy with those
acts which earn one reward, and flippant with the outward supports of
the Shariah. He §& called such a person a miser because he refuses 10
give greetings of peace, as the Lawgiver commands; and he called him
the most miserly of people, because those who are miserly with mone,
might be broadly excused for it, since money is beloved to the soul and
precious to the spirit by human nature and instinct, and thus to give wt
away requires that one overcome the ego. Giving greetings of peace,
the other hand, involves no expending of wealth, and so the one who

2 Al-Tabarini, al-Bayhaqi.

284

si The Perfection of His & Ethics in Guiding and Teaching
Pett

ining from giving it to th

lah by refraining Biving lose whom he meets i
sane ing miserly with his very words; thus he is more misery thas
lly ox mise.

285

SuprorTING STATEMENTS

Wit EvipEence

1B Was,
ence

NoTHER ASPECT of his & method of teaching and educa
A that when teaching, he would support his statements with
and reasoning in the form of analogy and comparison. This would make
his statements clearer, and curn them into arguments and proofs, sis
the questioner would be provided with 2 plain truth which assured he
heart and satisfied his soul, and cause him to cleave ever tighter to rhe
truth, as the evidence took root firmly in his soul. The examples we hie
of these statements are the plainese proof and greatest evidence of this,

One example of this is found in his # words: ‘..And for one of you to
have conjugal relations (wich his wife] is a kind of charity’ °O Messenger
of Allah; they said, ‘will one of us be rewarded for slaking his lust?"
me,’ he said: ‘if he were to slake it in an unlawful way, would he thereby
be guilty of sin? Likewise, when he slakes it in a lawful way he earos

ard
“The word used here is bud’, which means both sexual intercourse
and the private parts; either meaning could apply here. This hadith
evidence that simple lawful things can become acts of worshi
ied by righteous intentions. Sexual intercourse can be an act of
if one intends thereby to satisfy the right of the wife and gi
her good companionship as Allah commanded, or to seek a rightevus
child, or to keep oneself or one’s wife chaste and prevent them both from
looking at, thinking abour, or indulging in unlawful things, or any other
ighteous intention.
fine noble Companions were amazed at this, that a man could go to
his wife and slake his lust and enjoy himself, and then be rewarded fori
by Allah. Tt would have been enough for the Prophet # to s1y sea
‘Allah has decreed this and ordained it’, and chat would have been the
greatest of proofs, since the word of Allah and the word of His ae
& are the only proofs needed, But he # did not suffice with that,

“! Muslim,

286

part Six: The Perfection of His & Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

inscead reminded chern of the icit counterpart of this action, which
was known tO them and obvious to them. In this way, he gave chem the

portunity 0 reflect, think and compare the two similar actions, and
othe unknown on the known. Thus he said to them: “Tell mes if he
were co slake it in an unlawful way, would he thereby be g
Likewise, when he slakes it in a lawful way he carns a reward.

‘Another example of this is found in the hadith narrated by Muslim on the
authority of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir, who said: ‘My father carried me to the
Messenger of Allah & and said: “O Messenger of Allah, testify that I have
grenal-Nu'man [such-and-such sum of money}.” He suid: “Have you given
the same amount to all your other children as you have to al-Numan?” He
said that he had not. He said: “Then have someone else testify to it.” He
then said: “Would it please you if they were all equally dutiful to you?" He
said chat indeed ic would, “The answer is no, then”, he said

By ‘Would it please you... he Je meant: Would it make you happy if
all your children were equally dutiful to you, meaning that they were all
equal in the kindness they offered you, and in thew being careful not to
mistreat you, and in the respect and honour they showed you? He said
that indeed it would please him. So the Prophet §& said: ‘the answer is no,
then’; that is, if you really want all that.

Had the Prophet % simply said to him, ‘Thar is not allowed’, it would
have been enough, because his J word is law, and no further evidence is
needed. But instead, he & explained co him the truth of the matter, and
showed him the reason why the rule is what it is, guiding him to the
evidence by saying, ‘Would it please you if they were all equally dutiful to
you?” Now it was obvious that such a thing would please hima, and thus
it became obvious thar if he gave to one and neglected the others, they
would not strive to be dutiful to him or show him love - that is, they did
ge so far as to actually mistreat him! Behold, then, how perfect was the
way of educating employed by this noble Prophet und great Messenger &.

Another example of this was the occasion when a woman of the Juhayna
clan came to che Prophet #& and said: ‘My mother vowed to make the
iigrimage, but died before she had done it. May I do it in her stead?” He
replied: ‘Ves, make the pilgrimage for her. Tell me, if your mother had
outstanding debts, would you have paid them? Repay your debrs to Allah,
for Allah is more deserving of fidelity.*

“ AbBukhari,

287

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

You can see, then, how the Prophet & proved the validity of ‘Se
pilgrimage she made for her mother by use oF analogy, so that her sory
would be all che more convinced by having reference toa Concept she kney,
well, and a comparison to something in which there is no disagreemen:
or confusion. There is no doube that a verdict is strengthened when
evidence is provided for it, and that this is more assuring for the sou} at
the questioner and more likely to win his assent.

Another example of this is the hadith narrated by Muslim on the
authority of Aba Hurayra , who reported that a man of the Bang
Fazira came to the Propher fm and said: ‘My wife has given birth to 5
black child? The Prophet & said: ‘Do you own any camels?" He said thar
he did, ‘What colour are they”, he asked. ‘Red’, the man replied. ‘Are any
of them prey?” He allowed that some of them were grey. ‘Whence came
that?” che Prophet & asked. ‘Perhaps it is because of heredity", he stig
‘The Prophet & said: ‘And perhaps this is because of heredity.

Other narrations add that the man wanted to formally renounce his
parentage of the child, and thar the Prophet & did not allow him to do
ad the Prophet & simply said, ‘Colour has nothing to do with
attribution of parentage, as long as the child was born in your bed and
the timing fits, it would have been enough. But he & wanted to show the
man the reason for the ruling, so that he would recognise the truth of the
marter and adhere vo it because it was supported by proof, Therefore he
directed him to 2 comparable macter which he accepted and knew wel,
so that he could use what he knew as an analogy for what he knew nor,
and turn his doubr into certainty.

colour had existed ia the

‘The author 4 explains tn 2 note here that this means
‘ancestral line of those camels, and had surfaced far that reason. [t]

288

Tue Use or Srories

NOTHER ASPECT of his #& method of teaching and educating would
be to tell stories and use them to explain concepts and clarify issues.
‘Asingle prophetic story would contain many benefits and lessons; it might
pertain co the Oneness of Allah, explaining the virtue of faith in Allah
and the necessity of patience in the face of His decree and resignation ta
His will, and the virtue of repentance and return to Him, and sincerity in
one’s attitude towards Him, and the virtues of reliance and contentment;
he #& might use it to explain how the proponents of Allah's Oneness
who came before us were persecuted in Allah’s cause. Another story
might pertain to general etiquettes and the proper way to interact with
people, such as dury to parents, maintaining fami
weak, and other such lofty ethics and noble principles. Prophetic stories
are distinguished by cheir truth: chey describe actual events and real
personalities, for the one who told them was the Honest, Trusted One,
who never spoke of his own caprice, but conveyed the revelation that was
revealed to him.
The prophetic story always had lofty goals and rarefied intentions, and
each one encompassed several benefits and outlined a number of vircues,
to which it called us and encouraged us to aspire.

289

Tue Story oF THOSE
Wuo SPOKE IN THEIR CRADLES

BU Hurayna i& reported that the Messenger of Allah & sai:

A ‘None
poke in the cradc* save three: There was ‘Tsi son of Maryam, ani
there was Jurayj’s companion ~ now Jurayj was a man of worship, ah,

kept a lodge. Once while he was in there praying, his mother came (9
him and said; “Joray!” He said: “O Lord, my mother or my prayey
and carried on praying, so she went. The next day, she came to im
again as he prayed and suid “Jurary}!” He said: “O Lord, my mother op
my prayer?”, and carried on praying, so she ‘Allah, do nor let him
die until he looks upon the faces of adulteresses!” ‘Phe Israelites came
to know Jurayj for his worship; and a woman of ill virtue and renowned
beauty said: “If you wish, 1 will seduce him.” She offered herself to him,
bur he paid her no heed. She went instead to a herdsman who would
come sometimes to his fodge, and offered herself to him, and he had his
way with her, She conceived a child, and when she bore it she claimed
that Jurayj was the father. They went to him, cursed him, destroyed hie
fodge, and began to beat him. He asked them what was wrong, and they
“You fornicated with this jezebel, and she bore you a child!” He
said: “Where is the child?” They brought the child forth, and he told
them to leave him while he prayed. When he had finished praying, he
went over to the child, poked him in the belly, and said: “Buy, who
your father?” The child said: “Se-and-so, the herdsman.” Upon this, the
people approached Jurayj, kissed him and laid their hands upon him, ind
said: “We will rebuild your lodge from gold!” “No,” he said, “rebu
from clay, as it was”, and this they did.

‘TAs for the third], a baby was being nursed by his mother when x man
rode past on a splendid steed, decked out with fine cloth. ‘The baby’
mother said, “O Allah, make my boy like him!” The baby left off i
breast, looked at the man, and said, “O Allah, make me not like a
and then went back to the breast and suckled, [The Messenger of Alla

Ley hen they were infunes,

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Part Six: The Perfection of His & Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

‘h chen mimicked the baby's suckling by placing his finger in his mouth
and sucking ic] Some people then passed by with a servant-gidl whom
hey were beating, shouting “You have fornicated and stolen'”, as all the
while she repeated: “Allah is enough for me, and the best of trustees!
His mother said, “O Allah, make not my boy like her!” The boy left off
suckling, looked at her, and said: “O Allah, make me like hee!” Upon this,
the 1wo began to speak to one another. The mother said: ‘A fine-looking
man passed by, and I said‘O Allah, make my boy fike him’, yet you said:
‘0 Allah, make me not like him!’ they then passed by with a servant-gir!
whom they were beating, saying “You have fornicated and stolen’, and I
said: 0 Allah, make not my boy like her! yer you said‘ Allah, make me
like her!” The baby replied: “That man was a tyrant, so I said ‘Make me
not like him’; and as for her, they accused her of fornicating, though she
had not, and of stealing, though she had not; so I said, ‘O Allah, make
me like her!”*"

In this hadith, the Prophet # tells us the story of Jurayj, a devoted
Israelite worshipper, who was so involved in his worship that he did
not answer his mother's call or Fulfil his duties; so she invoked a prayer
against him, which Allah answered, sending to him a woman of ill virtue
who invited him to fornicate. He was abused and his lodge torn down,
and his mother's prayer came true; but then Allah saved him by the
blessing of his worship, and the infant proclaimed his innocence, and his
social standing was restored. The Prophet & then tells us of an ordinary
woman who was dazzled by the sight of a steong healthy rian on a fine-
looking horse, and so prayed to Allah to make her son like him. Yet the
child rejected this, and protested it with words Allah allowed him to
speak. His mother was then horrified by a woman being punished and
humiliated on charges of fornication and stealing, and so payed to Allah
fot to make her son like her. Yet the child rejected this,
ic by saying: 'O Allah, make me like her, explaining that t
tyrant and the woman innocent.

With this story, the Messenger of Allah

and protested
he man was a

strates imporrant

concepts for us, and calls us ro beautiful virtues. Among these are

that worldly people judge things by their appearances, whilse people of
Spirit

al insight judge them by their inner beauty; that righteous action
what counts; that judging by appearances does not tell us the truth, but

“ AbBukhaet, Muslim,

291

MUHAMMAD # THE PERFECT MAN

only amounts to supposition; and that Allah takes care of inner r
by doing right by che oppressed and giving consolation to che de
the exhausted and the downtrodden.

Other lessons ofthe hadith are che importance of being dutiful to one
parents and giving one’s mother her rights and answering her calls thas ¢
two things clash, the most important one should be given preference; and
that Allah usually gives his Friends 2 way out of theit grievous rials se
He says: Whosoever ears Allah, He will make for bim a way out! (62:2) sa
He might send hardships to them sometimes in order to inccease them
and refine them, which is a kindness.

Another lesson is that ritual ablution is recommended when one wishes
to supplicate for important things, and that ritual ablution was Known to
those who came before Islam: forthe narration of al-Bukhari™ expliciy
states ‘so he performed ablutions, and prayed.”

Other lessons of this story are chat the saints are vouchsafed miracles;
that the miracles of the saints can occur by their choice and their request,
and that these miracles can take the form of any kind of supernaturs)

occurrence.

calities
Prived,

“© The version translaced above is that of Muslim. {t]

292

ExPLAINING THincs Usinc PARABLES

NOTHER ASPECT of his & method of teaching and educating was
AS explain things by use of parables. The parable is one of the best
ways to give a clear image of a concept, and to make it easier for others
to comprehend.

‘Aba Hurayra ah reported that the Prophet & said: “The parable of the
miser and the charitable person is thar of rwo men wearing suits of iron,”
from their breast to thcir collarbones. As for the charitable person, every
time he gives, the suit expands upon his skin until it reaches beyond his
fingertips and drags behind him, covering his tracks.“ As for the miser,
every time he wants to give, the suit tightens, each link cleaving to its
place; he wants to widen it, but it not widen,”

So this is the parable the Prophet $ gave for the miser and the
charitable person, comparing them to two men who each want to wear
a suit of mail to be protected from his enemy's weapons. Each man puts
it over his head to wear it (since mail is first put on the head and the
breast, until one puts his arr s sleeves). He compared the charitable
spender to one who wears a voluminous suit of mail chat covers his whole
body; and compared the miser to one who holds his hands to his neck
so that whenever he tries to put it on it catches at his neck and gets no
further than his collarbone. This is what ‘it tightens’ means; it catches
and gets stuck, What this means is that when the generous one goes to
give charity, his heart is content and his soul at peace with it, and he gives
freely; yet when the miser considers it, his soul becomes greedy, and his
heart is straitened, and his fist clenches. And whoso guarded against the
avarice of bis own soul, those ~ they are the prosperous’ [59:9]. Al-Muhallab
said thar it means that Allah covers the charitable one in both this life
and the next, whilst he exposes the miser. The words ‘covering his tracks’
symbolise how his sins are effaced. ‘Tyid added that this story is a parable,
not a real-life incideng; others say that itis a metaphor for the way wealth

ee oy
mo

chain eaail. (t]
Lam indebied to Fath al-Bart for che translation of this phrase. [t]
©! Ab-Bukhisi, Muslim,

293

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

is increased by charitable giving, and decreased by miserliness.

Another eile of thie the Prophet's & words: “The parable ofthe
house in which Allah is invoked and the house in which Allah is not
invoked is as the living compared to the dead.’

‘This hadith compares houses with the living and che dead, with respect
owhether Allah is invoked in them or not. The one who invokes Allah ¢
compared to the living person, who is outwardly beautified with the lighy
and glow of life with righteous actions and with free will, and inwardly
illuminated and beautified with the light of knowledge, cecognition ant
understanding; his heart grazes in che pasture of holiness, and his inner
secret resides in che chamber of union. The one who does not invoke, on
the other hand, is outwardly defunct and inwardly vacant. Some say that
‘the house’ here means ‘those who dwell in the house’; now one might
object co this by saying, “Those who live in houses are all alive ~ how,
then, can they be called dead”

Tanswer this by saying that the ‘living’ object of this comparison is one
who benefits from his life by invoking Allah and obeying Him; it docs
not refer to actual bodily life. Likewise, the believer is compared to the
living, and the unbeliever to che dead, chough they are hoch alive, when
Allah says: ‘b be who was dead, and We gave him life.’ (6:12). Also, to
say thar the one who does not invoke is outwardly defunct and inwardly
vacant seems to work better than to describe his house in this way,

Another example of this is found in his % words: “The one who teaches
the people what is good and forgets himself is like a lamp which gives
others light but burns itself" ; i

This hadith compares the scholar who enjoins what is good but does
aot practise what he preaches, benefitting the people but not himself,
with a lamp that gives light and burns. What this means is that this
scholar burns himself with the fire of the Hereafter, helping others even
as he ruins himself. This is crue if he does nor call others to worldly
pursuits — and if he does do that, then he is like a burning fire chat
consumes both others and itself, There are thus three kinds of scholar:
he who saves himself and othess, namely he who truly prefers Allah a
this world both outwardly and inwardly; then he who damns himslfad
others, namely be who calls others to worldly things; and then he wt

“2 Muslim.
“8 AbTabarani, itDeyya’.

part Six: The Perfection of His f Ethics in Guiding and Teaching

dumas himself yet saves others, namely he who calls to the Hereafter and.
ejects worldliness ourwardly, but doesnot apply his knowledge inwardly
This is a warning to all those who have a mind for remembrance or 24
car co hear. The scholars among the Companions were extremely pious
and fearful. One day, ‘Misha # was visited by a young man who had mised
an issue with her and asked her about it, and to whom she had spoken,
‘Whac have you done [since we alked)?, she asked him. Fah!’ he replied
“Then how many arguments you are providing for Allah to use against
sand against you!”

’, she said. And ‘Isa 4 said to his Disciples: ‘You work
for che life of this world, although you are given provisions therein; yer
you do not work for the Hereafter, although your only provisions there
will come from your righteous actions. He also said: ‘O scholars of evil,
who do not righteous works! You have put this world at your head, and
the Hereafter at your feet! Your words are a medicine, but your actions
are a disease; like the oleander tree, which pleases those who sce i, and
kills chose who eat i

A similar example is his & words: ‘The one who attains knowledge and
then does not acts upon ir is like the one who gathers a fortune but does
not spend it. Another is his % words: ‘The one who teaches others
what is good is like the wick, which gives people light while burning
itself?

This is a parable the Chosen Prophet drew for one who docs not
act upon his knowledge; and it imparts a strong warning. Abii al-Darda’
said: “Woe unto him who knows not; and a thousand woes unto him
who knows but does not act!” Al-Tuscari said: ‘All people are drunk, save
the scholars; and scholars are all perplexed, save those who act on their
knowledge.’ He also said: ‘Alll this world is ignorance and falsehood, save
for knowledge; and all knowledge is an indictment, save for what is acted
upon; and all action is dust in the wind, save for what is sincere; and
sincerity is incredibly perilous, until one dies with it.’ Al-Junayd said: ‘If
you want to be ennobled by knowledge, and be one of its folk, and be
known for it, before you have lived up to its rights, its light will be veiled
from you, and it will be an indictment against you, not an argument for
you.

This paragraph is from Fayd al-Qadir.
AbTabarani,
© AbTubarini

295

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

In his grace, Allah gave me the fortune to write a treatise
fundamentals of education in che frst Islamic era and the Propis
teaching method, and on some educational theories and princpitg te
can be derived from the prophetic hadith literature, of which we ne?
given a summary in this chapter; and all grace is from Allah, es

ON the

296

PART SEVEN

THE PERFECTION OF His & Law, Wuicu

Meets ALL HuMAN NEeDs, AND Can BE

AppLieD TO ALL Times, WITHOUT ANY
ALTERATION OR CORRUPTION

“This day have I perfected for you your religion’ [5:3]

p=

THE SHARIAH OF ISLAM

11g SHARIAH of Islam is the most perfect, noble and comprehe
T message of guidance, and the dispensation with which Allah sealed
the revealed Laws of Heaven, making it eternal and ordaining that it
remain until Allah inherits the earth. Because of this, it had to be solid
and perpetual, strongly built and wisely ordered, able to meet the needs
of individuals and che masses.

Jr is well-known that the Shariah of Islam is built on two great
foundations and drawn from two noble sources:

‘The first is the Book of Ailah Almighty, which contains His straight
path, His overwhelming argument, and His immutable signs, and is a
refreshing spring which qucaches che thirst of ignorance.

The second is the enlightening prophetic Sunna, which brings
mankind all goodness and happiness in their religious and worldly lives.
‘The Sunna means everything attributed to the Messenger of Allah $,
whether word, deed, or approval. Allah is well pleased wit and has
obliged us to follow it, refer to it, and act upon it. He has cornmanded
us to obey the Prophet §&, and judged that those who refuse to do so are
unbelievers, and linked the love of Allah with adherence to his #& Sunna.
He has made obedience to the Prophet %& (hy following his Sunna) equal
to obedience of Allah ye (by following His Qur’an). He has made ir clear
that all of the Sunna is from Allah, and that he # speaks not of his own
caprice, but only conveys the revelation that is revealed to him. The
Qur’n is from Allah, and the Sunna is from the Messenger of Allah
by Allah’s command and good pleasure. Thus we may safely say that all
of these laws, and classifications of the permitted and the forbidden, are
from Allah ie.

THE SHARIAH OF ISLAM AND THE REALITIES OF LIFE

Our Shariah ~ praise be to Allah — is relevant to any time, and suitable
for any generation, and perennially applicable to the changing realities
of life. Its legislative foundations are fully capable of providing us with
laws which are living, growing and developing, so that people in all their

299

MUHAMMAD & THE PERFECT MAN

different environments can enjoy justice and security, and lead 800d ang
noble lives.

“The Shariah has been able to prove its soundness and effectiveness yn
those occasions when it has had a chance to be implemented jn a
life, The era of its implementation was 4 virtuous era in which socig)
justice and human dignity blossomed, and successive generations of
mankind were given a beacon showing them the way to goodness any
honour. People enjoyed happy lives, and devoted themselves to hearing
the message of the world’s emancipation from the fetters of injustice, che
nightmare of ignorance, and the darkness of error.

The situation of other communities who use systems that contradict
this religion is an eloquent testimony to the excellence and perfection of
this Shariah; for chose communities are ever forced to renounce elements
of their laws and systems, and borrow many things from Islam,

‘The Shariah, then, is broad enough co cover any issuc that people migh:
face, set their affairs in order, and meet their needs, however wide their
geographic separation might be, and despite their differences of race,
culture and nature. No one denies this save one who is utverly deluded

JHE FOUNDATIONS OF PERFECTION
AND EXCELLENCE IN THE SHARIAH

Anyone who examines Islamic jurisprudence and its foundations and
principles honestly will acknowledge that che Shariah is completely able
and well-equipped to order the life of humanity and deal wich all their
affairs, and that its laws do not follow a single narrow course, rather, chey
deal with some issues independently, and others collectively according
to universal principles. Ir then leaves chose people who have enough
knowledge to qualify them for the task of deriving laws to apply these
universal principles co individual issues, as they arise.

This is how we can understand Allah's words ‘We left nothing out of
the Book’ {6:38]; and it is in light of this that we should understand the
meaning of development and renewal in the Shariah, which is a pure
mercy and a heavenly favour for this community,

Therefore the Law of Islam has a structure which preserves this order,
and a form which guarantees total harmony between firm principles and
changing temporal circumstances. This order and harmony is the chief
agent, as ordained by Allah Almighty, for the preservation of this Shariah

300

Part Seven: The Perfection of His $ Law

he continued existence of this religion in a way chat is free of any
sabotage, corruption or usurpation.

{fyou know this, then know also that this order and harmony depends,
ar its essence and its core, on fundamentals which are interconnected
At d mutually perfectings they are the crown of the Islamic legislation, »
arown resplendent in its majesty and perfection; and they are the pivot
or which it is centred; and they are the actributes and foundations of
development, renewal and perfection.

and t
meddling,

ONE: OPENING THE DOOR OF IJTIHAD

‘The first of these fundamentals, centres and attributes is the opening
of the door to itihdd.** Islamic legislation is based on ijeihdd, for the laws
that are explicitly given in the Book and the Sunna are a limited few. [bn
a-Qayyimn states, in A‘ldm al-Miiqi'in, that the verses in the Qur'an that
deal with the fundamentals of law number no more than five hundred,
and the hadiths chat deal with the fundamentals of law number no more
than five hundred of all rhe thousands of hadiths that have reached us.
‘Thus the fandamental rulings of this Shariah given to us by the Qur'an
and Sunna are one thousand in number; and this forms the basis of
the immense Islamic legislation that remains to this day, continuing to
benefit this community.

The Qur'an taught the Muslims to use reason and to investigate, and to
follow the guidance of their scholars and thinkers. Allah Almighty says
in His Book: ‘When there comes to them a matter, be it of security or fear,
they make it public; yet had they referred it 10 the Mesenger and 20 those in
authority among them, those of them whose task it is to investigate would bave
known the matter’ (5:83).

This is a clear summons to investigation and reasoning; and therefore
history tells of the jurists among the Companions, who learned how to
apply ijtikad to derive rulings and judgements during the time of the
Messenger of Allah .

History also tells us about the Messenger himself %, and how he would
train his Companions 10 solve issues and derive rulings, and encourage
them to think and reason freely, and fill their hearts with confidence

** The word ijibad literally means to strive or to exert oneself: In the Shartal itis process
by which qualified scholars infer jurisprudential rulings from the primary sources of Shariah for
scenarios not previously covered, See Principles of Itami Jurisprudence by MH Kamali,

301

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

and assurance when they feared to make errors of judgement, Whe
Gualed person employs sftbdd and comes to the right answer, het
two rewards; and when he comes to the wrong answer, he has one rey,
‘Allah ag says: ‘There is no fault in you if you make mistakes, but only in seis
‘your bearts premeditaie. Allab is Forgiving, Merciful’ (33:5). .
Te was in the wake of this enlightened tolerance and broad, noky
employment of ijribad that the life of the Muslims proceeded f e
the time of their first emergence. The Companions s& employed ced
reason, and the Messenger & encouraged them to do so and gave then
his blessing; and their free souls imbibed the principles of Islam. The
differed in their understanding of certain issues and events, but it a
the difference of free people, without any bitterness or enmity. They did
not resort to name-calling or heckling, nor did they ever think of stifiin
opinion or restricting thought. %
The most eloquent testimony to this was the Prophet's % assessment
of them on the day of Band Qurayza, when he said to them: ‘Let none of
you pray the afternoon prayer until you reach Band Qurayza’ The time
for prayer arrived whilst they were still on the way; some of them said
"We should nor pray until we arrive’, whilst others said, ‘No, we should
pray now; that is not what he meant The Prophet # was told about
this, and he did not side with either group. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said of this:
"This is the way of independent reasoning based on the fundamentals,
according to many jurists.’ The Messenger & also encouraged the people
he appointed to official posts in their lands to exercise iftihad; and they
considered that the greatest blessing Allah gave His servants was to give
them understanding of the Qur'an and the hadichs of che Messenger of
Allah jx, and understanding of the issues they had to face.
With this complete understanding of the spirit of Islam, and this
continuous exercise of reasoning, in an atmosphere of ease, tolerance and
freedom, Istamic legislation followed in step with the advances of the
Muslims from Arabia to the furthest shores and highest peaks, whatever
went on in life. The Muslims never felt that the law was inadequate, nor
did they ever have any need ~ though the world was in their hands — for
any laws other than those of cheir Shariah, nor any lawmakers other
than their jurists. Indeed, they not only made laws for themselves, but
for the rest of mankind as well, so that Wells‘ could say in his book

H.G. Wells, che auchor and historian. {f}

302

Part Seven: The Perfection of His te Law

The Outline of History that Europe is indebted 10 Islam for the bulk of its
adeninistrative and commercial laws.

Life went on for the Muslims with comfort, goodness, strength and
honour, developing alongside the rapid progress of man, thanks to the
continuous How of scudies based on free independent reasoning, which
‘nas the distinctive mark of the Islamic world, until people strayed from
the way of heaven, and their ship sunk, sinking one day and surviving the
next ~ but what a wretched, miserable survival it was

TWO! THE IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO BENEFIT IN THE SHARIAH

One of the focal points of perfection in the Shariah is the importance it
affords co benefit. The great scholar ‘Izz al-Din ibn ‘Abd al-Salam spoke
of this in his book Qawa‘id al-Abkam, saying:

‘All moral responsibilities are meant to give benefit to mankind in
this life and the next; Allah has no need of anyone’s worship, and is
neither benefited by obedience nor harmed by disobedience. And the
benefits of the next fife can only be attained through the benefits of
this life.

Imam al-Shitibi sai

The most widely-accepted view is that the Shariah was made for
the benefit of mankind; and this can be ascertained by careful study.
Allah Almighty says, speaking of rhe sending of messengers, which
is the basis of the Law: We sent] mesengers bearing good tidings and
warnings, so that mankind might bave no argument against Allah, after
the messengers: [4:165].

Ibn al-Qayyim says in A‘lam al-Mugqi‘in:

The Shariah of Allah has, as its chief aim, the benefit of mankind in
this life and the next. It is total justice, total mercy, total benefit, and
total wisdom, Thus anything that is not just (hence unjust), or not
merciful (hence opposed to mercy), or not beneficial (hence harmful),
or not wise (hence meaningless), cannot be part of the Shariah.

303

MUWAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

‘The eternal Shariah of Allah, then, is a living being [hatin bay wh,
rules are meant to uphold the common benefit a long as this deg o*
involve the breaching of a divine judgement, the violation of an Jot
principle, or the alteration of Islamic law. ic

THREE: THE RECOGNITION OF
COMMON UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES

recognition of common universal principles.

‘The Sharish establishes certain common foundations and universal
principles, upon each of which is buile fundamentals and laws which ey
be derived by those who have knowledge of the nature of world even
by considering whac the Lawgiver intended for similar situations, As
example of chese universal principles is the principle of worship, which
scares that Allah ae can only be worshipped by those forms of worship
He has established. This means that all worship is dependent on direc
divine instruction, and can only be learned from Allah; for only He
knows what pleases him and what does not. He has made cleae in His
Book, which He revealed co His Messenger &, everything connected
with this; thus Allah is worshipped by means of His Book, the Sunna of
His Messenger, and adherence to the way of the righteous carly Muslims,

THE PRINCIPLE OF TRANSACTIONS

The principle of transactions is that ‘all transactions are permitted
until they are known to be forbidden? This means chat if the Shariah is
silent abour something, and has issued no commandments, prohibitions
or options abour it, then ic is left to personal opinion. The upshot of all
that has been said about this subject is that if the Shariah is silent about
a transaction, and it causes no harm, then it is essentially valid. What
points co this perspective is that contracts and transactions are based on
human customs and conventions; therefore, they can be left to proceed in
this way as tong as they are not expressly forbidden, Thus Allah says: He
bas made clear $0 you that which He bas forbidden you’ [6:19]. This implies
that everything is lawful unless it has been clearly declared unlaw/ul in
the Qur'an and Sunna. Every stipulation, contract, or transaction for
which these sources are silent cannot be called unlawful, until some

304

Part Seven: The Perfection of His & Law

roof that it is prohibited can be produced, or some evidence that it is
perf emerges; for if they arc silent about it cis is because of mercy,
not forgetfulness. ALTirmidhi narrated, on the authority of Salmin al-
Farisi, that the Messenger of Allah # said: ‘The lawful is what Allah
calls lawful in His Book, and the forbidden is what Allah forbids in His
Book; and if He is silent about something, then He has allowed you it’
Similarly, al-Daraqueni narrates, on the authority of Abu The'laba, that
the Messenger of Allah & said: ‘Allah has obliged fard’id [obligations],
so do not neglect them; and He has set up boundaries, so do not cross
them: and He has been silent about some things, out of mercy for you,
not forgetfulness, so do not go chasing after {a ruling for] chem!

‘There are many other famous principles which the scholars have
collected, ordered, recorded, explained and arranged, and which have been
of tremendous usefulness. They include: ‘hardship must be alleviated’,
harm must be ended’, ‘things are determined by their objectives’,
‘certitude is not annulled by doubr’, and ‘custom has che weight of law.

FOUR: THE SUMMONS TO OPENING THE DOOR TO KNOWLEDGE

Another fundamental of perfection in che Shariah is the opening of the
door to knowledge by emphasising its virtue, encouraging its acquisition,
and stressing the nobility of those who possess it. It could be said thar
one of the great glories of Islam is how strongly it supports knowledge
and encourages its acquisition; and the very first passage of the Qur'an to
be revealed pertained ro reading and knowledge.**

‘The place of knowledge in Islam is too well-known to need mentioning,
and too vast to encompass; and the verses of the Book and hadiths of the
Master of Envoys $ contain many clear evidences of the high status

Islam affords to knowledge, scholars, and students, and the importance
of universal principles.

FIVE: NO OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW
ANY PARTICULAR SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

Another fundamental of perfection in the Shariah is flexibility and the
absence of obtuseness in the adherence to a particular viewpoint or school
af thought in those matters which are the province of reasoning and

“This refers to Que‘in 96:1-5,

305

MUHAMMAD && THE PERFECT MAN

This is because Tegal ext could foie more than one
i uc there being anything ta prove decisively which
ee eee vo the exclusion ofthe othess

Now the way in which one possible meaning of a text is chosen ‘he
another is by tid, reflection ad study. Moreover, study and refecan
rmught result in the aleernative meaning being preferred at another 1
tohen tis more beneficial ro choose it. The Shariah does not compet
ve adhere to the interpretation preferred by a given imam or schghs
matter how times change and circumstances differ; rather, man|
reused if they differ, and their difficulties may be alleviated. 1f o
them errs in his qualified reasoning, he is nevertheless rewarded; and
the ane who comes to the right conclusion is doubly rewarded. This
to encourage them to study and seek out what is most beneficial for 4

This is why there are differences of opinion about these matters ang
rulings: and this is a mercy from Allah for this community. In His grace
with mankind, Allah has caused this difference of opinion to diversify
the paths which lead to salvation. Likewise, the low number of legal
sources is also a blessing which the Bringer of the Law #& intended: he
would even forbid his Companions from asking too many questions, 39
that things would continue to retain their original ruling of lawfulness.»
ams of this religion and its jurisprudence never obliged people
to follow cheir schools of thought and adhere to them; rather, they had
no objections to this difference of opinion, and if any of them saw more
benefit in another opinion, he would not hesitate in adopting ic.

Abi Hanifa, for example, used to say that charity was superior to
performing supererogatory pilgrimages; but when he went on the
pilgrimage himself and saw how difficult it was, he changed his opinion.
Muhammad al-Shaybini had an opinion about impure substances which
he changed after he went ta Marwa and saw the difficulties people had
there.

Malik, coo, changed some of his opinions. And when Imam al-Shafi,
the imam of the famous school, moved from Iraq to Egypt, he ended up
establishing a whole new school and renouncing all his old school on all
but twenty-something issues.

Because of this, the scholars among the righteous carly Muslims
would excuse one another when they differed, and would not criticise

opinion. Possibl.

Mean) ng

i,
Us
ony
id are
me of

“tba ‘Abidin, 1/109,

Part Seven: The Perfection of His & Law

the opinions of others. We should not neglect to mention how Imam
Milik took exception to the Calpih Haran al-Rashid’s plan to compel
all the Muslims to adhere to his book al-Musaria’, despite the great care
Imam Malik had taken when compiling it, and the acceptance it had
received from the scholars. Malik explained his reason for refusing this
by saying: ‘The Companions of the Messenger of Allah # spread out over
the lands, and perhaps some of them have hadiths which I have not heard
and which, if I did hear ther, I would change something in my book.
Because of this, the qualified imams of juridical reasoning would forbid
those who asked them questions from taking their answers as revealed
religion, or making them a cause of sectarianism. Accordingly, some of
them would act on the opinion of others, in order to give a dispensation
or act in conformity with the Muslims they were with.

‘An example of this is the story of how Imam Ahmad (Allah rest his
soul), who was of the opinion that cupping or bloodlerting viriated the
ritual ablution, was asked: ‘If you saw an imam perform cupping and
then go to pray without first making ablurions, would you pray behind
him?’ He answered: ‘How could I not pray behind Malik and Sa‘id ibn
al-Musayyib?”

‘Abu Hanifa and his followers were of the opinion that bleeding
necessitates ablutions, but Abii Yasuf (one of Aba Hanifa’s major disciples)
saw Harun al-Rashid perform cupping, having been told by Malik chat
he did not need to make ablutions after doing so, and Aba Yusuf then
prayed behind him and did not repeat his prayer afterwards,

And it is related that al-ShafiT & left out the qua supplication of the
dawn prayer when he prayed with some Hanafis in their Imam's mosque
in the outskirts of Baghdad, Many people said thar he did this out of
respect for the Imam.

Something else to note is thar the scholars among che Companions,
Second Generation and those of the righteous early Mf 4
after them would always hy
ruling’ or ‘Allah's law’; rathe
of them would say, ‘T'
me: if it is correct, then
and from Satan,’

pont Counsel that the Propher & gave to the commanded of an army was:
‘you lay siege to a people and they want you to let them out according

ims who came
away from calling their legal opinions ‘Allah's
er, even the most capable and knowledgeable
is where my knowledge and reasoning has led

from Allah; and if it is wrong, it is from me

307

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

to Allah's ruling, then do not let them out according to Allah's yu
but let them aut according to your ruling, for you do not know if you will
correctly apply Allah's culing to them oF not Tn al-Clayyimn sayg in
lam a-Mugdin: "The muft is not permitted to say “Allah declares shi
or Allah allows this" or “forbids thac” when he speaks of something f
has found in the book of the scholar whose school he follows; rather he
should say “so-and-so says this".

“This was the unique and praiseworthy way, ard the sincere and pure
spire, that che imams of the righteous carly Muslims 3 followed; and
thus they were more likely to find the truth, and quicker to reach it once
they saw it, and firmer co grasp ic once they reached it, Their common
guiding principle all this was to return to the truth via the primary
pources of virtue. The effect this had on their relations with one another
twas to foster a spirit of common tolerance, strong love and brotherhood
for the sake of Allah and the cause of truth, and cooperation in all that
led to Allah's goodly favour and the happiness of the community.

"Therefore Allah blessed them in their lives and possessions, and
protected them from being wasted in barren, useless debate motivated by
nothing but stubbornness and partisanship, however far it may have been
from the truth, or however obvious its error,

He also protected them from mutual enmity and jealousy, and from
all that corrupts hearts and ruins good works. Thus He benefitted them
with their righteous works, and benefitted the Muslims wich them too;
and their legacies still remain guiding beacons for all those who wish to
follow their path, and exemplars for all those to whom Allah grants the
gifs He granted them: deep understanding of the religion, eagerness to
discover the truths and an exemplar too for all those who wish to benefit
as they benefitted, und succeed as they succeeded.

Perhaps the reason for their success was thar they drank from a river
both broad and deep: the siver of the Book of Allah and the Sunna of
His Messenger &, from which each of them drinks according to how
prepared he is for it, aiming no censure of criticism at any other.

‘One of them might huve understood a verse of Qur‘in or hadith in
one way, and another of them in another way; so they would discuss the
matter with the utmost etiquette. If they ended up agreeing, then they
would praise Allah; and if not, they would each pardon the other and go

ng,

Muslim, Apmad.

308

Part Seven: The Perfection of His & Law

sbeir way, retaining their bond of friendship and love. It should be noted
that their difference of opinion was based on their common acceptance
of the authority of the text in question, and the obligation of consulting
fe and the validity of basing one's worship on it, and its status as a proof,
Since it is affirmed by unquestionable, mass-cransmitted evidence. They
agreed chat to deny these evidences in the first place ~ even if some of
them might be doubtful individually ~ is nothing buc unbelief, since
it amounts to a denial of the unshakeable, certain evidence which it is
obligacory to accept,

T would like to draw the reader's attention to something important
in which many well-thought-of people err, namely the distinction, in
the matter of Ghdd reports,” between the denial of a single report on a
particular issue on the one hand, and the wholesale denial of the very
class of dbdd reports on the other, These people err by asserting that
whichever of these two assertions are made in the course of a debate or
study, the denier of abad reports is only guilty of sin, and not unbelief.
Yet this is a mistake, or a case of ignorance; for to deny them outright is
to deny almost the entire prophetic Sunna. We must make the distinction
berween denying the dhdd wholesale simply because they are dhdd, and
the denial of individual abad reports without justification or excuse.
We say that the one who denies abad reports as a class is an unbeliever,
because in reality he is denying the prophetic Sunna, since most of it is
dbad; and the one who denies an individual abdd narration on a particular
issue, without having any justification for doing so or any reason for not
accepting it, is a sinner. This should be noted.

“8 Thar is, hadiths with only one chain of transmission, of with roo few chains of
‘ransmitsion to qualify for the class of sawstur (mass-cransmission). The exact definition of
tis iso polar of difference among the scholars of hadith

309

THE MEANING OF DEVELOPMENT
IN THE SHARIAH

OME PEOPLE might understand the flexibility, development and

dynamism of the Shariah in the wrong way, imagining thar Isa
does not reject anything new, no matter what iti, as long as ie seem
thei to be good and beneficial, without holding it up tothe standard
the principles of the Law and the foal points of is rulings and evidences
and without carefully examining if this new thing is truly beneficial and
good in the first place.

What must be done here is to correct our perceptions, purity oup
auclook and srudy the arguments and evidences in great depth, so that ye
do nor fall into evil while intending good; for many of those who desir
the truth do not find it. Yes, Islam is broad and expansive; but this does
not mean that it accepts every new thing uncritically. The truth of the
matter is that Islam accepts some things and rejects others it containg
the lawful and unlawful, and the obligatory and reprehensible. Those
who read the books of Islamic writers — may Allah give them success ~
must, therefore, scrutinise theit words carefully and do their utmost to
understand what they are saying, without rushing to conclusions tharare
not correct, and might create delusions and misunderstandings.

THE EXACT MEANING OF I/TINAD

Providing an exact definition of juridical reasoning [jjtibid] in Islam is
not an act of obtuseness, but rather serves to establish its principles, give
it vital protection, map out its different paths, systematise its foundational
sources, distinguish those who are qualified to exercise it, and get rid of
all those false claimants to it, who are like mirages, which seem like water
to thirsty people until they reach them and find nothing, Therefore the
imams of foundational jurisprudence affirm chat since ijtihdd has such an
impottant place in the Shariah, it requires a great ammount of knowledge,
extensive experience with the field, and total awareness of the different
kinds of legal evidences. Therefore anyone who claims to be qualified

310

Part Seven: The Perfection of His f Law

for unrestricted (muslag) ijtibad in these times should examine himself
closely and scrutinise his claim; for after careful reflection, he might
realise that he is ignorant of che true starus of the rank he is claiming
for himself, or ignorant of his own true status; and he is not excused
for any of this, A man might come forward and with great pomp and
pride declare his own right to jiibid, seeking to deduce laws from the
Book and Sunna, which are Arabic — yer he does not even know how
to read a single sentence without making grammatical slips, and has no
knowledge of grammar at all, though it is the key to the Arabic language!
By Allah, how can such people claim to be qualified co deduce laws as the
righteous carly Muslims deduced them, or to be among the ranks of the
musjtabidiin?

‘We are not saying that the ‘door to ijtibad is closed’; nay, it shall remain
wide open until the Day of Resurrection — but only for those who are
worthy of it, and who have proved themselves qualified to deduce laws, and
who have learned what they must learn about abrogating and abrogated
cexts, and about chose things on which there is consensus. Allah's grace
is vast, and all gifts come from Him, and Allah is of infinite bounty;
indeed, Allah might give any of His servants a special aptitude for che
Qur‘in and a sound understanding of the prophetic Sunna, making him
qualified to revise certain issues, research certain fields, bring out new
understandings, discover new cruths, or derive laws for new circumstances
and events from universal principles. Yet this alone does not amount to
the level of unrestricted ijtibad; rather, it makes one a researcher or a
thinker. A claim to ijtibad from an unqualified person is a ‘true word
put to false use’, and a cause for mischief and serife without any shred
of truth; it is to disguise falsehood as truth, discourage people from
following the Sunna, and disregard the view of the majority.

How often have the Muslims been subjected to the trial of ignorant men
‘who seek to cause unrest in the religion and criticise the scholars of old,
lighting fires of discord and despoiling the reputations of the scholars.
They love to raise disputes about everything, chasing after benefits,
Biving obedience to Satan, having love for material things, desiring roles
of leadership, and seeking to divide opinion. They spread confusion
among ordinary people, coming to them in the guise of encouraging
study, research and demands for proofs, until they finally announce
that ‘jihad is obligatory, and following the opinion of qualified scholars

31k

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

(taqlid) is forbidden’ ~ and there it ist The ordinary person therefor
becomes lost in labyrinchs of fanciful ‘knowledge’ anc! alleged ‘research’
he neither remains as he was, nor do they give him the knowledge he
needs to be a muitubid himsell, Whoever suid that snibad is obligatory fe
All people, including those who are laymen, unschooled, or ordinary blue.
collar workers? IF he would deny that such people exist in the Muslim
community, then this is a wilful denial of something that is perfect
Gbrious, and if he acknowledges that indeed chere are ordinary pecs,
who need te follow scholarly opinion, then there is no doubt thar fx
ordinary people to follow the opinions of the greatest imams of the fr
three generation is far better and more appropriate than to follow anyone
else; for the Propher gh attested ro their superiority when he said: “The
best of people are my generation, then those that follow them, and then
those than follow them.**

"This arcestation proved true for them 3A, which can be seen in how
their schools were codified and made distinct, and how their suying and
opinions were passed along by their followers with authentic or mass-
transmitted reports, from one generation to the next. How can we be told
to cease following those scholars, and instead adhere co the opinions of
men who do not know the points of consensus, the depths of legislation,
or the proper way to derive rulings?

Wie do not intend here to single out any individual for criticism, or to
humiliate anyone, since no intelligent person could be bothered by this,
nor any ignorant person be pained by it ~ wounding a dead body causes
po pain, Rather, our intention is to give guidance to the Muslims, and to
alert students to the importance of valuing the righteous early Muslims,
and ro call for unity and cohesion; for this is the most perfect, important
and worthy thing to aspire co. We are sorely in need of reunification and
the healing of the schism that has taken away our strength and spirit
and allowed the other communities to fall upon us just as hungry people
fall upon a plate of food, while we are dazed in confusion.

Ab-Buichisi, Muslim.

312

A Fase ACCUSATION
AnD Dusious NoTION

ome OF those people who are remiss in their understanding, having
S not had a proper Islamic education, entertain the notion that the
Shariah of Islam is not up to the task of meeting the needs of humanity
in all times and places. They depict the stable definition of legislative
powcr in Islam as a ‘limitation, accusing the Shariah of being inflexible
and stagnant, and falsely claiming that it is not suited to these times,
and cannot keep up with the spirit of the times. They assert that the
Muslims need to resort to man-made laws to order their society and their
politics, alongside che laws of jurisprudence deduced by the scholars of the
early generations of Islam. They explain this by saying that as civilisation
spread, science and technology progressed, and lifestyles diversified, new
circumstances, problems and issues came into being of which the people
of old had no experience, and therefore it is nor possible (they claim) to
make do with the Shariah alone without something else alongside
or to suffice ourselves with what it has legislated for us. Therefore chey
have begun to draw from man-made law, considering it a source equal
to the Shariah. They have made the forbidden lawful and the lawful
forbidden, according to the views and thoughts they happen to have at
this particular time and place, without making any distinction between
principles and applications, nor between suppositions and certainties.

Now the emergence of this particular kind of enemies of Islam is by
no means surprising or incredible, because the enemies of Islam do not
stop at open war and destructive plots which spill blood, violate honour,
usurp property and squander rights; but they also wage other wars: wars
of lies, falsification, distortion, misguidance, misinformation, propaganda
and deceitful fault-finding,

‘Whar is strange, however, is that this is coming from citizens of our
own lands, who speak our own languages, profess Islam and are known as
Muslims; thus they proclaim a clear rejection of their own Shariah, even
when the enemies of Islam have acknowledged it and attested to its broad

313

MUHAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

horizons. At the 1937 International Congress of Comparative |
Hague, where Western thinkers and academics from all over
gathered, the following points were acknowledged:

AW at the
the world

| = Islamic Law is a recognised source of legislature.
2 Islamic Law is a recognised living law.
3~ It is independent, and not derived from external sources,

We have no doubt that these people, who profess Islam, are the resul
of one of the most fiendish and dangerous plots of colonialism, aimed i
destroying Islamic society and pulling it up by the roots. It has cast ines
their minds ~ since they were nursed in its lap and raised in its care ~ the
notion that the greatest cause for the lowly state of the Muslims today
and their lagging behind the advancerment of civilisation, is that the
are too adherent to their religion, and chat this Islamic religion of theirs
is incompatible with science, and chat adherence co it does not lead to
progress and development, but rather is an obstacle to all this. Such is the

of the enemies of Islams and this idea has influenced many ignorant
people in the Muslim world and inspired them to write things which
serve the cause of colonialism. These conspirators fail vo discern the huge
difference between our religion and theirs, and that not so long ago, their
religion and its authorities stood in the way of the European cultural
Renaissance, stifled its progress and led the forces of backwardness, This
made such people view their religion as a hated enemy. But cur religion
and its authorities and leaders built the Islamic civilisation thar history
has immortalised, and they were the ones who roused the world from
its sleep and its ignorance, and set the renaissance in motion. Thus we
should view our religion as a guiding friend, not a hated enemy.

The great legal and intellectual minds of Europe came forward at an
international conference held in Riyadh in 1392 AH [1972 CE] co declare
their amazement at the Shariah of Islam and the facts they had leamed
about it, and the human rights they had seen within it. The President
of their commission, Mr Macbride, Professor at the University of Dublin
and former Foreign Minister of the Irish Republic, said: ‘Ic is here, in thi
Muslim country, thar Human Rights should be proclaimed, nowhere els.
One of his colleagues said: “The Qur’anic prescriptions on human rights ar
undoubtedly more meaningful than the Charter of Human Rights.

34

ConcLuSION

HE BIOGRAPHY of the Prophet #& and the lives and history of
his Companions % provide us with the best example of the way
chat sumimoners to Allah should follow, and the greatest source of their
spiritual strength and religious consciousness, From ic they can kindle
the torch of faith, by which they may then light che censers of men's
hearts. In it, they can see a call which was nurtured by faith and sincerity,
so that those who bore it were willing to give up their lives, possessions
and kindred for it, and happy to endure torment for it, so that it was
carried over the earth from East to West, from the furthest shores to the
highest peaks. Those who bore it forgot their pleasure, abandoned their
comforts, left their homes, devoted their souls, and relinquished their
possessions, until certainty had entered hearts and captured souls and
minds. Hearts opened up to Allah, and the winds of faich blew strongly,
a hurricane of goodness and blessing; and the nation of divine Oncness,
, worship and piety was founded; and guidance spread through the
world; and people entered Allah's religion in droves.

Because of this, those striving for social repair and renewal have alvrays
turned to this blessed biography to be an exemplar and a source of
revitalisation for the Muslims and for the awakening of their aspirations
and the rekindling in their hearts of the fire of faith and religious zeal. It
isnot merely a question of amassing historical facts, or story-telling; it is
a question of witnessing the Islamic reality in its complete practical form,
embodied perfectly in ics highest exemplar, our master Muhammad &
and his noble Companions.

The exemplary biography of this Prophet 4 and his noble Companions
& illustrates the upright way, the straight path, and the clear model of
conduct for those who enjoin goodness and rectitude, and the teachers
of guidance and educators; and if they stick to it, it guarantees that they
succeed and achieve their aims in the best and most perfect way.

At present, there is a widening state of intellectual distance and

_ detachment from this noble biography and this glorious Islamic history,

which produced the likes of those gallant heroes, conquering warriors,

MS

MUHAMMAD # THE PERFECT MAN

world leaders, and teachers of the Islamic civilisation, proud and pig
guardians of Islam who guided the world, levelled thrones, conquereg
lands, educated minds, and established 2 Rourishing Islamic ¢
on the foundations of consciousness of Allah and His good pleasure
built an Islamic nation stretching from East to West.

‘This distance and detachment from the prophetic biography is a matt
of manifest peril, with grave consequences and evil ends in store for the
Muslim community, if we do not turn back co the ways of our formes
glory and draw our civilisation from the foundational principles of tha
venerable civilisation, We must form a strong and permanent connection
with our heroes and great men, and learn from the history of their lneg
for they graduated from the school of che Perfect Man $. None must bg
followed but they, and none must be imitated but they, and none must
be heeded but they; and we can only be set right by what set them right,

ation
and

Allah, we ask You to send this religion a trusted ward and a rightly-guided
leader who can return us to glory, and inspire in us a rejuvenation, and heal
cour dwides, and raise our banners, and rectify the community, and dispel
cour woes, and enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong, and estallah
Your rule, and apply Your command, and defend what You held sacred, and

succour Your believing servants. Amin!

Muhammad ‘Ala fabiki
1* Rabi al-Awwal, 1400 AH.

316

19,
20.
ai.

Works CITED

Tarsiz

mad al-Din Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'én al-Azim
Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bake al-Quetubi, al-fami k-
‘Abkam al-Quréin

‘Aba al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi, Zéd al-Masir fi ‘Thm al-Tafiir

Havita

Aba ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, al-Jarni* al-
Sabib

Muslim ibn al-Hajj al-Qushayri al-Nisapiri, Sal
Muhammad ibn ‘Is al-Tirmidhi, al-Jai

Dawid

Abmad ibn Shu‘'ayb ibn ‘Ali al-Nasi’i, Sunan al-Nasa’i
Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Majah al-Qazwini, Sunan [bn Majab
Malik ibn Anas al-Asbahi, al- *

Ahmad ibn Muhammad -Shaybani, al-Musnad
ibn ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi, Shama'il al-Tirmidbt

- n al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa

Aba Nuaym al-Isfahani, Dalal al-Nubuwwa

Zaki al-Din ‘Abd al“Azim al-Mudhiri, al-Targhib wa al-Tarbib
Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad
Sulayman ibn Ahmad ibn Ayyab al-Shami al-Tabarani, al-Mu'jam
al-Sagbir

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43,

MUBAMMAD @& THE PERFECT MAN

Stra Nasawivya (Propnetic Biocrapry)

Abii al-Qisim ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abdallah iba Hi
Sira al-Nabawiyya

Ahmad Zayni Dablin, al-Sira al-Nabawiyya

‘Alt ibn Burhin al-Din al-Halabi al-Sha6i, al-Sira al-alahy
Jalal al-Din al-Suyati, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra sia
‘Abii al-Fadl ‘lyad ibn Misa al-Yabsabi, al-Sbifa

Shihab al-Din al-Khaffaji, Sharh al-Shifa

Shihab al-Din Afmad ibn Muhammad al-Qastallini, l-Mawaip
al-Laduniyya

Mubammad ibn ‘Abd al-Bigi al-Zurqini, Sharb al-Mauahib gt
Laduniyya

‘Abdallah Sicaj al-Din, al-Shamd'l

Ibn al-Talla, Agdiyar al-Rasial

‘Abd al-Hayy al-Kareani, al-Tardtib al-Idariyya

Abii al-Faraj ibn al-Jawai, al-Wafa’ fi Fadail al-Mustafa

sham, af.

History AND BloGRAPHY

Muhammad ibn Sa'd Kitib al-Wagidi, a!-Tabaqat al-Kubra
Ahmad ibn ‘Al ibn Mubarnmad Iba Hajar al“Asqalani, al-ahe
fi Tamyia al-Sababa ,
Tbn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Nimari al-Qurcubi, al-Jsvitab fs Ma'viferal-
Ashab

‘Imad al-Din Tbn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya

Jalal al-Din al-Suyati, Tartkb al-Kbulaf?

‘Abd al-Rabman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldiin, al-Mugaddima

IsLamic Law AND LitBRATURE
Abt Ishaq al-Shatibi, al-Muwafagat fi Usal al-Shari‘a
al-feqan fi Uliim al-Qur’én
al-Hanbali, Ghidha’ al-Albab li-Sharh

Mangnmat al-Adab
‘Aba al-Barakar ibn al-Anbari, Sharh Qasidat al-Burda

38

In

A

‘Abid don Bishr, 18
‘Abdalla ibn Jafar, 59

ablucions, perforroing before supplicating,
m2

{Abi ul-Bakcari tbo Hishim, 253

Abit Bake al-Siddiq

defence of the Prophet against persecution,
153

as possessing a pillar of the Pool, 198
deseribing the face of the Messenger, 12
good manners of with the Prophet, 208-
208

‘Abii Burda ibn Nayyir, 187
‘Abd al-Darda’
ton the knowledge of the Messenger, 45
‘on those who know but fail to-act, 295
as siting, 251

‘Aba Hunifa, Imam, 306, 307
‘AbO Hurayr, 168

‘Aba Jabl, 73, 453,

‘Abi Jandal, 146

ahab, 70

Abi ‘Ubayda, 86

Abyssinians, 251

adoption, as not constituting a family tie,
94-95

DEX

advice of the Messenger of Allah, 65
Abid reports, dental of, 309
‘Abmad, Imam, 307
Abmad, name
al-Abaib, bs
‘Aisha
on the ascetictem of the Messenger, 157
on Allah’ revealing what the Messenger
concealed, 95
describing the face of the Messenger, 12
com the dignity of che Messenger of Allah,
144
4s envious of Khadija, 150
on the fragrances of the Messenger of
Allah, (73
on the generosity of the Messenger, 147
‘on the gentleness of the Messenger, 135,
harsh response to Jews, 246
fon how Revelation first came 10 the
Prophet, 104
interpretation of messengers ‘being lied
10, 86-87
‘on kindnese of the Prophet to his furily,
247-48
on the light of the Messenger of Allah, 17
con the Messenger’ fear of Allah, 216
con che Propher sewing, 60
fon the Que‘in as the aature of the
Prophet, 204-205
fon the speech of the Messenger of Allah,
48
‘on the worship of the Messenger of Allah,
2
Al Woria, sirac, 175
‘AU ibn Abi Talib
describing the eyes of the Messenger of
Allah, 1

319

MUHAM

everibing the fixe of the Messengety (2
pheric characte, 245-45
5

‘on the mayesty of the Messenge

teprohibted am pohgeray while married
0 Finis, 184

addressing of the Messenger, 182-83, 190
angaing tor Hos Prophet, 190-91
‘continaous glonifcarion of the Messenger
of Altab, 215

feat of, 216-17

generous shyness of, 143

protection ofthe Messenger of Allsh,
69-76

tance of the Vireuous (Eilfal-Fudil), 163
lecswood (id), as Fvoused fragrance of the
‘Messenger of Allah, 173

ambergrs, use off as a fragrance, 173

aumiabilicy of che Messenger of Allah, 36
amr ibn 2b Tufayt, 75

ibn Akhtab al-Ansari, 43

on the majesty of the

Br
“Amr tbo
Messenger, 15
“Amr ibn Jabhish, 74
‘Anas shn Malik

ton che knowledge of the Messenger, 42-43,

0

‘on the voice ofthe Messenger of Allah, 22
aucescors of the Messenger of Allah, 9-11
angels

48 accompanying the Messenger, 181

as helpers of the Prophet, 193

ar the grave of the Messenger of Allah, 188

a the grave of the Messenger of Allah,

388, 195,

«conveying blessing to the Messenger of

Allah, 187

eri’ descenc to the Meseenger, 183

of che movrcains, 154

praise of the Prophet before che, 202

protection of che Messenger of Allah,

174

Supreme Assembly, 45

MAD gf THE PERFECT MAN

visiting the Prophet during sleep, 25
speaking to the Messenger, 193.

lao.

appearance of the Messen; I
sn BET OF Allah, 12.14
al’Aqaba, day

agri halga, interpretation of, 126-29
‘Aqsa Mosque, 180

Arbad ibn Quys, 75

‘Arfyya ibn Sd, 60

asceticism of the Messenger of Allah,
167-68

Asmit bint Abi Bakr, 150

Asma’ bine ‘Umays,
aspirations, raising, 281-85

assassination attempts on the Me

Allah, 161-62 : ‘ ed
ayat al-Kursi, 181

156.57,

B

tbabies who spoke in cheir cradles, 299.92
bbad manners with the Messenger of Allah,
209-210
Badr, battle of
angels with Messenger, 181
captives of, IIL-16
concealment of strategies in, 233
concern for troops in, 229
{just distribution of spoils, 163
protection of the Messenger of Allah,
69-70
reconnaissance mission in, 35, 235
strategic decisions in, 230
weeping of the Messenger on eve of, 216-17

campaign of, 223
seige of, 239

Band Qurayza, 230-31, 236-37

Bang Ubayriq, 90

alBarré’ tha ‘Azibon the voice of the
Messenger of Allah, 22

Barsckh (Isthmus), 44

320

Index

ee 216
me ibe Messenger of Allah, 173
beauty of the Messcoger of Allah, 15-18, 192
pesucy, eloquence 2s, 48
benefie,peinciple of in Sharish, 303-304
Bilal

‘on the generosity of the Messenger, 147

asraised on she-camel of Paradise, 196
birds, knowledge of, 45
birth of the Messenger of Allah, 17, 179
Black Stone, setting of n the Ka'ba, 34
Woking on the Messenger of

‘blood sports, prohibition of, 140-41

body of che Messenger of Allah, as not
decaying, 187

bravery of the Messenger of Allah, 226-28
Bridge, the, 197

buildings, design and construction of, 57
180, 196

terpretauon of lifting of, 101-102
i, imam, 12, 70, 72-73

calling the Messenger of Allah, proper
manner of, 209

calling to Islam, wisdom in, 64-66, 133-34
to the Messenger, 192
16

censuring, excellent manner of, 258-62
characcer of the Prophet, 24346
cheek of the Messenger of Allah, 13
chaldren

‘education of, 263-65

mercy of the Messenger towards, 137-39
chores, household, 60, 136, 169-70
Christians, exaggerated praise of the Son of
Mary, 166
circles of learning, 267
cleanliness of the Messenger of Allah, 19-22
clothes of Paradise, 196

clothing of the Messenger of Allab, 20-21,
m

cockfighting, prohibition of, 140-41
community
6 of, as chown to the Messenger of
Allah, 187-88
compassion of the Messenger for, 134
intercession of the Messenger for, 194-96,
198-200
‘Companions
as given decision over captives of Bade, 13
‘Companions
definision of term, 185
use of reason and thd, 302
compassion of the Messenger of Allah, 13-
Ba
comportment of the Messenger of Allah,
20-21
comprehensiveness in supplication, 214
concealment of war strategies, 233-34
concise speech, 47
Confederates, Battle of the, 230-32
conquest of Mecca, 158-59, 217, 234, 238-39
conversing of the Prophet, 249-55
counsel of the Messenger of Allah, 65
courage of the Messenger of Allah, 226-28
cradles, those who spoke in, 290-92
<ross-pollanation of date-palms, 117-22
cupping, as a remedy, 175
‘cursing, of the Prophet, 125-27
customs of the Prophet, 243-46

D

al-Dabbagh, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Aziz, 80, 100,
120

dal (dala), interpretations of, 96-98
dare-palms, cross-pollination of, 117-22
Da'char ibn al-Hlaeith, 70

dawn prayer, 213

al-Dawadi, 102

Day of judgement, iaercession of the
Messenger, 194-96, 198-200

death of che Messenger of Allah, increase in
worship before, 212

demons, protection from, 77-83

description of the Messenger of Allah, 12-14

321

MUHAMMAD @ THE PERFECT MAN

doanb (na), meaning of, 128
hike of the Messenger of Allah, 215
dialects, speaking in, 271
dignity of the Messenger of Alla, 44
a-Dimasha, Shams al-Die tba Nagr al-Din,

10

donkeys, as riding mount of the Messenger
cof Allah, 167-68

door to Paradise, 200.

doubss, prorection of the Prophet from,
BABS

dread, by a month's journey, 75, 182
dreams, secing the Messenger in, 185

dubs (rnudmorning) prayer, 218

E

education
of children, 263-65
circles of learning, 267
of history, 267
isnowledge, place of in Islam, 305
Jireracy, atencion gwen 10, 268
parables, use of, 293-96
of Quranic exegesis, 266
zaising aspirations, 280-85

tories, use of, 289
supporting seatements with evidence.
286-88
teaching methods, 269-72, 273-80
Bid, clothing fo, 21
eloquence of the Messenger of Allah, 47-56,
62-63
Emnigcation of de Messesrger of Allah, 71-72
‘eminence of the Messenger of Allab, 292-211
‘envoys, selection of, 37-39
eriquecte
of eating, 174-76
with the Prophet, 208
evidence, supporting statements with, 286-88
‘executing captives of war, 12
‘exegesis of Quran, 266
‘eyes of the Memsenger of Alltzh, 13-14, 20

322

F

face of the Messenger of Ata
family
adoption, 26 not consticucs

b, 12-45,

Mg famitia)

kindness of the Prophet to, 247-48
lineage of the Messenger of
loyalty to, 148-5)

the Messenger towards, 134
n of marrying the wid

ah, 9.4)

Messenger, 184 et
fasting, as frequent practice of the
Messenger, 215
Fagin bint Muhammad, 153, 156-57

favours granted tw the Prophet, 194-201
fear of Al
feat, sceikang into the heart ofthe enemy
238-39 si
fevers of the Messenger of Allah, 87
final illness of the Messenger
fingers of che Messenger of Allah, water
flowing from, 192
first of crea
flaws, protec
food
of the Messenger of,
micaculous increase
forbearance of the Messenger of Allab, 152-
58
foreleg, hadith of the, 118-19
forgettulness, in relation to the Prophet,
108-109
forgiveness
asking chroughour the day, 215
forgiveness, meaning of in selacton to the
Prophet, 100-108, 183-84
forgiving narure of the Messenger of
Allah, 30, 158-62
fragrances of the Messenger of Allab, 73
Friday setmons of the Messenger of Allah,
62-43
Fridays, special cloching for, 21

6, 189
of the Propher from, 84-88,

rogs, us glonlying Allah, 140
Fudala bn ‘Umayr, 75, 159

fancral prayer of the Messenger of Allah, 187
funeral wailing, 186

G

gencronty of the Messenger of Allah, 45-47
al-ghardnig (holy bids), 79-81

Ghatafin, bartle of, 70

Ghawrath iba al-Harith, 69

al-Ghali, 282

Glonous Station lal-Magam a-Mabrmicd),
194, 198

sold, use of in surgery, 60

greed, as making one poor, 261-82
greeting people, 249-52, 283

H

al-Habushi, Sayyid ‘Ali, 31
hadichs, denial of abad reports, 309
Hadramaut, 49

hur of the Messenger of Aliah, 19

hands, raising in supplication, 214
handshaking of the Prophet, 248

al-Hacawi, Abu ‘Abdal
Haran al-Rashid, 307

‘ated (Pool of the Messenger of Allah), 195-
8

head of the Messenger of Allah, 14
head, covering while eelieving onesell, 144
hearing ofthe Messenger of Allah, 180
heart of the Messenger of Al
beart of the Messenger of Allah, 23-25
a8 nor sleeping, 180
lessons from opening of, 26-31
Qur'an as speaking of, 179

vision of on night of Mi rdj, 181
Helpers, the Prophet's fondness of, 256
henna

se of as hair dye, [72

use of as remedy, 175
Hilfal-Fudal (Alliance of the Virtuous), 163
Himar the Companion, 251

ibn Abr Hata, 253
rd’, cave of 1
history, 267
holy birds (al-ghardnig), 79-81
home, cleanliness of, 21-22

household chores, 60, 136, 169-70
household, mercy of the Messenger towards,
6

houses, design and allocation of, 57
al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhie, 230

‘on the Glorious Station of rhe Prophet,
198
‘on the knowledge of the Messenger, 43-#4
spring on the enemy sn the Battle of the
Confederates, 236
human rights, 314
humility of the Messenger of Allab, 166-70
Hunayn, Bartle of
angels participating in, 181
‘courage of the Messenger in, 228

Intelligence gathering before, 235-36
justice of the Messenger on, 164
rotsction of the Messenger in, 74

hurricane, as aiding the Prophet, 192

Huyay ibn Akthyab, 24

hypocrites
mercy of the Messenger towards, 135
tecatment of, 223-24

hypothetical arguments in the Qus'én, 91-92

323

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

Iblis, protection from, 78
Ibn ‘Abbas
on battle-spoil
‘on the generos
on the light of the Messenget of
con the Propher as ¢ mercy, 204
‘on the Prophet as never doubting, 84
‘Yon ‘Abd al-Salam, ‘hz al-Din, 303

describing, the Messenger of Allah, 13,
‘on the light af the Messenger of Allah, 17
1S

Ibn Abi Jamra, on che opening of the
Prophet's heart, 27-29
Tips Abi Umayya 2+ Maichaimi, 38

Tha Duhayya, 29

Too Hajar, a}-Hatig
oon dolls, the permis
con sleeping io che final sixth of the night,
a3
‘on the opening of the Propher’s heart, 27
=r
swusdom, definition of, 30

Thn Khaldin, 264

Ton Mus'id, on the counsel of che Messenger

of Allah, 65

Tho al-Munie, 26

Ibn al-Qatsan, 17

bn Ubayy ibs

Terahim, sor of the Messenger of Allah, 136,

138

Thrihim, che Prophee as prayer of, 208,

idols, falling of, 192

igri, 301-303, 310-12

‘Tesima ibn Abi Jahl, 158

final, of the Messen,
i eet of All, 78, 94,

imprisonment, 259
incense, practice of burning, 22
ity ofthe Messenger, 9-107, 12g

tance, Messenger of Allah as no,
Jeaving, 187

insolence with che Messenger of All
ch, 206.

lect of the Messenger of Allah, 32-34
Incelligence gathering in warfare, 235.37
interaction between the Prophet and others
252-54 "
Intercession of the Messenger of Allah, 194.
%6, 198-200
invoking Allah, parable of, 297
‘Tsi son of Maryam
as speaking in the ceadle, 290
exaggerated praise of, 166
‘on working for the Fiereatrer, 295
the Prophet as tidings of, 203,
Islam, wisdom in calling t0, 64-66
Israfil, 185,
Isthmus (al-Bareakh), 44
‘Tyad, Qadl, 77, 84, 99, 269

J

Jabir ibn Samora, 13, 250
Jafar thn Abi Talib, 186-87, 251, 257
ibn Muhammad (2l-Sadiq), 96

Bajali, 249
I-kalim, 47, 182

charter with Mushims, 222
‘envy of the Messenger of Allah, 211
Sibril
as bringing down the Suara, 206
captives of Badr, 113,
cleansing of the Muhammadan heart, 24
command for the Prophet to wnatry
Zaynab,

324

Index

embrace of, 179

procection ofthe Messenger of Alla,
1-4 :

jevelacion of the Que'an, 105

eshading the Messenger of Allah, 154
transmission from, 206-207

if, 207

ng the Prophet during sleep, 25
jinn, 193

journeys, practice of the Messenger on,
175-76

Jabayr ib Mur'im, on the voice of che

al-junayd, 97, 295
Juray), story of, 290-91
justice of the Messenger of Allah, 163-65

K

KabaAll

Rab ibn Mi

Kiba
falling of the ols at, 192
foundations of Ibrahim, 66

setting of the Black Stone in, 34
Kawthar, che, 200, 202
boys to the hbiza’in (otores), 182
Khadija loyalty of the Messenger ro, 149-51
Khalid ibn al-Walid, 32
Khangja ibn Zayd, 250
bbaea'n (stores), keys to che, 182
Khuzayma, testimony of, 186
Kindna, 10
‘knowledge of the Messenger of Allah, 42-46
knowledge, 305
okt, application of, 175
ab-Korsi, aya

L

language
eloquence of the Messenger, 47-56
regional dialects, use of, 49
laughing of the Messenger of Allah, 246
Law ofthe Messenger, as lasting til

Judgement Dey, 182 (See also Shariah).
leadership of the Prophet 1n battle, 229-32
lecters of the Messenger of Allah, 65-66

light of the Messenger of
Lineage of che Messenger of Al
literacy, attention given t0, 268
lose, as more profound than financial, 282
ty of the Messenger of Allah, 14
lying about the Propher, consequences of,
185

M

Macbride, 314

magic, the Propher’s falling vietim to, 123-24
majesty of the Messenger of Allah, 15
Makki, 102

Malik ibn ‘Awf, 146

Malik, Imam, 208, 306 -307
mankind, the Prophet as mast!
manners of the Messenger of A
245

manners with the Messenger of Allah, 208
aniid (Glorious Station},

marketsplanning and management cf, 58-60
marriage of Zaynab to the Prophet, 93-95,
(Gee also fa
master of mankind, Prophet as, 195-96
Mecea

2s inviolable, 60
Mecca, conquest of, 158-59, 217, 234,
238-39

Medina

attachment of the Messenger to, 256
marketplace of, 58-60
wisdom of the Prophet when entering,
22-22

merey
with animals, 104-41

forgiveness of the Messenger of Allah,
158-62

in heart of che Messenger of Allah, 31
of the Messenger of Allah, 133-35

325

MURAMMAD #& THE PERPECT MAN

the Prophets, 208
1 orphans and widows,

ing (dubs) prayer, 213

adership of the Messeager of
‘Alla, 229-232
milk, as favoured drink of che Prophet,
174-75,
minds, setting at ease, 256-57
miracles of the Messenger of Allah, 179-88
‘cleansing of che Muhammadan heart,
23-24
lighted staff, 18
Meray
cleansing of the Muhammadan hearc on
night of, 24, 27-28
graces of the Messenger on night on,
180-8)
kaowledge gained during, 44
rorection from demons, 78
miserliness, 145
mises,
parable of, 293
a6 those who ful to greet, 283-84
misgivings, as cast by Satan, 80. See also
doubks
Mistah ibn Urhitha, 260
‘modes of the Qur'ta, 181

Mondays
as 1 preferred day for cravelling, 175
merit of fas 00, 215

Mosque of the Messenger of Allah
Abyssinians playing with spears in, 281
pulps of as meadow of Paradise, 188
talsing voice in, prohibition of, 209

mosque, cleanliness of, 21-22

mounts, treating well, 140

mouth of the Messenger of Allah, 14

‘Mu‘idh ibn Jabal, 258, 292

‘Mu awiya, 126

Muhammad, derivation of name, 180

Mubammadan heart, 23-25

Muhammadan Light, 16-18

abMandhir iba Siwi, 37

al-Muqawgis, King of Alexandria, 33
musk, use of, 173

Muislirns, intercession of she Messen
194-96, 198-200. See also Communi

N

al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, 211

auf (supererogatory) prayers, 213-14
name of the Messenger, derivation of, lag

‘Ber For,
iy.

the Prophet during sleep, 25

narratives, use of as educational io), 289
Nawawi, Imam, 122, 199-200

Negus, delegation of, 252

neighbours, rights of, 58

night vigils of the Messenger of Allah, 212,
2

nose of the Messenger of
Nufaym ibn Mas'ud al-As
at-Nu'man ibn Bashie, 287

oO

‘optinism in speech, 171

‘oratory of the Messenger of Allah, 62-63
‘orphans, metcy of the Messenger towards,
137-39

stracising, a5 a means of punishment, 260

P
parables, using 1 explain concepts, 293-96
Paradise
first co community eater, 194
firse to dress in cloaks of, 196
Messenger of Allah ar door of, 200
as shown to the Messenger, 43-44
vinion of on night of Mi'rij, 181
parentage, repudiating, 288
parents, being dutiful ro, 290-92. See also
Fumily
patience of the Messenger of Allah, 152-55
peace, greetings of, 283-64. See also greeting
pace, invoking on che Messenger of Allah,

326

Index

peefume ofthe Messenger of Allah 173
Fees, principle of, 304-305
perenssion ofthe Messenger of Allah,

seeking, 209
peraccution of the Messenger of Allah, 152

55
physical strength of the Measenger of Allah,
40-4

perforcning on another's behalf, 287-88
pledge from the prophets to believe in the
Messenger, 179, 189
politics, wisclor of the Propher in, 221-25
Pool of the Prapher, 195-98
prayer

addressing che Prophet during, 185

reverence of the Messenger of Allah in, 216
prayer of Tbeihim, the Propher as, 203
preaching (0 Islam, wisdom in, 64-66

prisons, 259
prophets
apparent ‘errors! of, 128-29
courage of, 227
Seal of, 208
superiority of the Messenger of Allah
among, 189-93
protection of the Messenger of Allah, 69-76,
185-86
provision, as bestowed by the hand of
Muhemmad, 182
pulpit of the Messenger of Allah, 188
punishments, 258-62

Q

Qaida ibn al-Nu'min, 17, 90
Gayla bint Makhrama, (6
sible, Facing while supplicating, 214
questions, sing as teaching method, 270-71
Quen
addressing of the Messenger i, 182-83,
190

as the best of speech, 48
“and he found you wandering’
interpretation of, 96-98
as characterising the nature of the
Prophet, 204-205
author’ imterpectation of verset of doubs,
89-92
clarification of verses of doubc, 84-88
distinctions of, 181-82
exegesis of, 266
forgescing. verses of, 108-109
as marriage dowry, 187
modes of transmission, 206-207
ry
reciting before sleep, 213
revelation af, 104-105
Satan eveddling with recitation,
misunderstanding of, 79-81
as source of Shariah, 299
teaching, to children, 263-65
verses pratsing the Prophes, 202-211
as wisdom, 30
Quraysh
protection of the Messenger of Allah from,
n
secting of the Black Stone im Ka'ba, 34
al-Qushayri, 93, 102

R

rabbi’s test of patience, 160-61
race wath ‘Aisha, 248
Ramadan

generosity during, 147

vigils ia, 215
ransom, taking for captives of war, 111-16
Rawda, 188
al-Razi, Fake al-Din, 198
rebuking, excellent manner of, 258-82
recitation of the Messenger of Allah, 22
reconnaissance missions in warlare, 235-37
recreation, perm

religious freedom in Medina, 222
repetition, use of as teaching methed, 272

327

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

188, 194

Resurrection, the Messenger
Revelation
beginnings of, 104
tnverruption 1n, 205,
reverence of che Messenger af Allah in
prayer, 216
thymed prose (14/9, 62
richness of the soul, 281-82
riding aninaals, rearing well, [40
righteousness, defined, 270
ring of the Messenger of Alla
Rubayyi bent Muawedh, des
Messenger of Allah, 13
Rukana ibn Abd Yazid, 40-41

)

Sacred Mosque, 180
Séd ibn ‘Ubads, 139
saddling of the Burag, 180
Safiyya bine H
Safwan ibn Umayya, 146, 158
Said tbe Sa'id hn al-As,
saj (chymed prose), 62
Salama ibn al-Akwi, 28

akSamargandi, 102
samasira, 60

Scan
as having no influence on the Prophet, 26
protection from, 77-83
as remeved from the mercy of the
Messenger, 31

Sawad ibn Chaziyya, 220

scholars
differences of opinion among, 505-309
‘not practicing what chey know, parable of,
24

schools of thought, 305-309

Seal of the prophets and messengers, 182,

204

Second Generation, definition of, 185
sermons of the Messenger of Allab, 62-63
seven modes of the Qur'in, 181

sewing, knowledge of, 60
sexual intercourse,

mam Abs al-Hasan, 101, 197
shadow of tree, 179
al-Shafit, Imam, 306 -307
al-Shams, al-Hafig, 27
‘Shariah of Islam

benefit, principle of sn, 303-304
iversal principles, 304
development of, 310-12
ihad, 301-303,
roduced, 299
misconception of, 313-14
perfection of, 300-301
relevance of, 299-300
schoals of thought, 305-309
transactions, principle of, 304-305

common

Shaybe ibn ‘Uthman al-Hayabi, 74

‘Shayba ibn "Uchman thn Abi Tatha, 162
‘Muhammad, 306

ter by sucking of the Messenger,

shyness of the Messenger of Allah, 142-44
sick, visiting the, 138-39,
sighr of the Messenger of Allah, 120

sin, ascribing to the person of the Messenger,

99-107, 128
sind (ooth-stick), use of, 20
slaughtering animals, it
slave or king, choice presented to the
Messenger, 167
sleep
hheart of the Messenger as perperually
wakeful, 24-25
of the Messenger of Allah,
Messenger of Allah 28 fed dur
Qur'énic recitations before, 213
secing the Messenger io, 185
supplication before, 175
smiling of the Messenger of Ailah, 25!
sociability of the Messenger of Allah, 36
soothsayers, 46 losing pawers on the advent

3
5 180

328

Index

of the Messenger, 180
sorcery, the Propher's falling victim 10, 123-
4
soul, richness of, 281-82
{pec ofthe Messenger of Allah, 47-56, 62-
663, (71, 206, 249-85, 269
sranding for people of virtue, 169
searements, supporting with evidence, 286-88
1s, greeting the Messenger, 104
Hae ood a Gianonal wehniqud 1
agers of war, 229-232
h of the Messenger of Allah, 40-4
al-Subki, Abo akHasan
‘on the opeamg of che Propher’s heart, 26
ab-Subayli 29
Suhay! sb ‘Anne, 158
Sunn
as brought dowa by fibril, 206
as source of Shariah, 299
sunset prayer, supererogatory prayers after,
13-4
supererogatory prayers, 213-14
superiority of the Messenger of Allah over
the 5 189-93
suppticacions
after concluding a gathering, 172
before sleeping, 175
performing citual ablution before, 292
hands ia
recitations before sleep, 213
‘on recurning from a journey, 176
those incapable of, 283,
in time of disrress, 158
when on a riding mount, 176
Supreme Assembly, 45
ibn Ju'sham, 71-72, 78

‘on cleansing of the Muhammadan heart,
4
‘searing of Allah on the Proph
sweat of the Measenger of Allah, 180

T

Tabuk, Bactle of, 233
Talif rejection of the Messenger at, 154-55
See alo Thagit

“Talq ibn Ali ak-Hanafi, 61

Thagif, crbe of, 154 -55, 160
Throne
knowledge of, as possessed by the
Messenger 44
Messenger of Allah on right side of, 188

Thursdays
as.a preferred day for travelling, 175

of the Messenger. 151
tidings of Isa, rhe Prophet as, 203
tooth-stick (nuda), use of, 20
town planning, 57
rade

markerplaces, 58-60

principle of permissibility, 304-305
transactions, principle of, 304-305
travelling, preferred days for, 175
trees

greeting the Messenger, 104

shadows of, as stretching co the

Messenger, 179

wailing, and weeping of trunk, 192
‘Trench, day of the, 40, 157
truchfulness of che Messenger, Allah
swearing by, 206
al-Tufayl ibn ‘Ame al-Dawsi, 1
ak-Tuseaes, 295

U

Ubayy ib Khalaf, 227, 261

ranks in, 230
the Mesvenger in, 227

courage
‘Umar ibn al-Kharrab

approach to hypocrices, 223-24

329

MUHAMMAD #& THE PERFECT MAN

‘on the generosity of rhe Messenger, 146
‘on the knowledge of the Messenger, 43
posttion on the captives of Badr,
as possessing a pillar of the Poo
protection of the Messenger af Allah, 71
as whispering to the Messenger of Al
208

‘Umayya ibn Khalaf, 71

Ummm ‘Atiyya, 186

‘Umm Han’, on che voice of the Messenger

of Allah, 22

‘Unim Ma bad, describing the Messenger of

Allah, 13

‘Unum Malik al-Angariyys, 12

‘Umm Salama, on the worship of the

Messenger of Allah, 212

Umm Sulaym, 143

unbelievers
mercy of the Messenger towards, 135
the Messenger as a mercy t0, 135, 204

unrestricted (muuplag) tiibad, 311

“Ugba tbo Abi Mulayt, 153

“Usayd abn Hudays,

“Uthman Dhun-Nurzya,
as possessing ¢ pillar of che Poot, 198

‘Uchinan ibe May'in, 139

5

veil, meaning of in relation to the Prophet,

vigilance of the Messenger o
vision of the Messenger of Al
voice

lowering in the presence of the Messenger,

208

of the Messenger of Allah, 22, 180

vows, a8 savali if objecc isa sin, £51
w

Wabb ibn Munabbih, 33

al-Wa

wailing in mourning, 196
‘wakefulness of the heart of the Messenger,

25
al-Walid ibn al-Mughirs, 2U1
‘walking of the Messenger of
warfare

captives, ransoming,

334
the enemy, 238.39
ligence an, 235-37
silicary leadership of the Messenger of
Allah, 229-232

warning the enemy before battle, 238-39
Wasila, rank of che, 195, 200-201

‘weeping of the Messenger of Allah, 139
wickedness, define, 270
widows, mercy of the Messenger cowards,
137-39
wisdom

defined, 30

in calling to Islam, 64-65
wood-carrier, 70
worldly affairs, Propher’s knowledge of, 57:
61, 117-22
worship

perfection of, 212-15

principle of, 304

Y

Yaouf, beauty of, 1

Z

Zamam, washing of the Muhammadan
heare , 23, 29

2ayd iba Arqamn, 223,

Zayd ibn Haritha, 93-95, 251, 257

‘Zayd ibn Sa
Zaynab bint Jahsh, marriage of, 93-95, 143
Zoroastrianism, 37

Zubays, 237

al-Zurqant, al-Hafig, 19, 122

330

Muhammad §: the Perfect Man

In this book Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki, may Allah be merciful to him,
writes with great erudition and love about the perfection of the last of the Messen-
gets, Muhammad #&, sourcing every point from careful exegesis of dydt of Qur'an,
well known hadith and episodes from the sirah. Following in the esteemed footsteps
of Qadi ‘Iyad, whose universally respected ash-Sbifa’ has always been the benchmark
against which other such works are measured, Sayyid Muhammad has nevertheless
added immeasurably to this noble tradition and produced a genuinely new work of
great insight and barakah, may Allah reward him well.

Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki

The author, Sayyid Muhammad son of Sayyid ‘Alawi al-Maliki (1367 AH/1944 CE
— 1425 AH/2004 CE), is an Idrisi Sharif whose ancestors emigrated to Mecca from
Morocco. His father Sayyid ‘Alawi was one of the most eminent and popular scholars
of Mecca, as had been his grandfather, Sayyid ‘Abbas. He was raised in a house of
knowledge and spirituality and received tuition in all branches of Islamic knowledge
from his father and then from the most eminent scholars in Mecca, Jeddah, and
Medina at that time. He was taught to love and respect people of high spiritual rank
and became deeply attached to the great saints of his time, such as Habib ‘Abdal-
Qadir al-Saqqaf, Habib Ahmad Mashhar al-Haddad in Jeddah, Sayyid Hasan Fad‘aq
and Sayyid Muhammad Amin Kutbi in Mecca. In Cairo he received special attention
from masters such as Shaykh al-Ja'fari, the leading Maliki scholar of Egypt at
the time, Shaykh al-Hafiz al-Tijani, the well known traditionist, and Shaykh ‘Abdal-
Halim Mahmud, rector of al-Azhar University. He made special trips to Upper Egypt
to visit the great Shaykh Ahmad Ridwan. He also had connections with numerous
masters in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, India, and Pakistan. Sayyid Muhammad
became the foremost Sunni scholar of the Hijaz of his time.